Most US voters back tighter social media regulation, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

A majority of U.S. voters across party lines support stronger government oversight of social media companies, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The survey found 61% of respondents said social media platforms should be more heavily regulated, including 71% of Democratic supporters and 62% of Republican supporters. Two-thirds of participants, or 66%, said they favored laws requiring age-verification tools to block users under 16 from accessing the platforms. The poll also showed 85% of Americans believe social media can be addictive for children. Major technology companies, including Meta and Google, are facing growing legal pressure in the United States over the impact of their platforms on young users. This week, trial proceedings began in a lawsuit brought by state attorneys general alleging that Meta designed its products to be addictive to younger users. Separately, a court in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a fund addressing children's mental health and to make changes to how its platforms operate. More than a dozen states have passed laws regulating minors' access to social media. The online survey polled 4,505 adults and carried a margin of error of two percentage points.