Design It For Us Statement on Meta’s Announced Teen Safety Changes

Design it For Us co-chair Zamaan Qureshi released the following statement in response to Meta’s announced changes to teen safety tools on Instagram:

“Today’s announcement from Meta makes one thing very clear: platforms can and will make changes to improve their products – only when it’s politically convenient. Young people have been forced to navigate online spaces at our own peril, enduring detrimental impacts to our mental health, body image, development and overall well being. Advocates like us have been pleading for changes for years as we fight these impacts on our own. It’s only when social media companies are facing meaningful regulation head-on that they try to convince us that they can solve this without intervention. But the reality is that PR plays like this one are not binding – rather mere attempts to maintain public favor.

“That’s why youth advocates from Design It For Us are on Capitol Hill today to continue pushing for the Kids Online Safety Act, which will independently hold platforms accountable for the harmful design of their products. As Big Tech throws the kitchen sink at efforts to preempt investing in meaningful safety and privacy policies, we’re sharing our personal stories about why legislative action – not public stunts or parental surveillance – is a matter of life and death. With the Kids Online Safety Act, legislators have a real chance to deliver meaningful change for young people.”

Design It For Us members are on Capitol Hill today to advocate for the passage of KOSA and COPPA 2.0, and can be available to speak with press. Please reach out to press@designitforus.org to schedule an interview.

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