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Design It For Us, a youth-led organization that advocates for safer online environments, say approaches like that give companies a “free pass” and put the weight of responsibility on parents’ vigilance.

Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of the Design It for Us coalition, said the proposed rules, which are subject to a 60-day public comment period before the FTC votes on them, “will make kids and teens much safer online.”

Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of Design It For Us, a youth-led coalition pushing for product changes and regulation of social media, said the unsealed documents show that senior Meta executives sometimes confronted the same barriers that concerned rank-and-file employees did.

Zamaan Qureshi, chair of the digital activist group Design it for Us, said: “Clegg’s comments follow a pattern at Meta where employees repeatedly flagged under-investment in well-being tools… now we know not even senior leadership could get through to Zuckerberg.”

Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of Design It For Us, a youth-led coalition pushing for product changes and regulation of social media, said the unsealed documents show that senior Meta executives sometimes confronted the same barriers that concerned rank-and-file employees did.

They are armed with data to support why we need such laws, including the 60% surge in teen suicides and Gen Z’s rampant battle with anxiety and depression. Zamaan Qureshi, an American University senior and co-founder of Design It For Us, describes it as “a mental health emergency largely driven by the addictive design of social media.”

Youth-centered organizations, including Design It For Us and Encode Justice, recently sent a letter to Congress and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, calling to include more young people in discussions on AI governance.

Design It For Us, which describes itself as a coalition of young people taking on Big Tech, issued a statement condemning Meta for “profiting off of our safety and well-being by purposefully designing products that keep us addicted.” This, according to youth leader Thanasi Dilos, is a major contributor to the mental health epidemic among young people. They similarly condemned the social media giant for funding NetChoice rather than collaborating with advocates on legislation and guidelines.

Young people should share their perspectives with policymakers, as well, said Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of youth advocacy organization Design It For Us.

“I’m here to speak on behalf of my generation for the harm we’ve experienced,” Zamaan Qureshi, co-chair of the advocacy organization Design It For Us, told lawmakers Tuesday. “Some of our generation have developed depression, eating disorders and attempted or taken their life due to social media.”