More than half of our day is all about social media scrolling. It isn’t just some mindless scrolling, but some of us also have businesses to run.
However, whenever there is some controversial conflict going on, some rules and regulations always hold us back.
A mere opinion can even lead to shadowbanning or any other restriction on our account.
But why is it happening, and how can we avoid it?
The laws for privacy and regulations, and monetization have different over the past few years.
Without understanding it, you will always lose your account to some conflict.
Let’s understand some of the latest social media regulations so you can avoid them all.
What is Social Media regulation?
Some checks and balances are necessary, and therefore, to keep things in line, there are rules and regulations. Similarly, social media regulation rules are about governments or organizations imposing checks on online platforms and their users to address concerns like misinformation, hate speech, and data privacy.
This can often lead to having more control over people’s opinions. However, that debate is for another time.
How New Regulations Are Affecting Social Media Advertising
We are not sure for now, because as it is protecting privacy, it is also exposing a lot. However, some of the changes you need to expect this year are:
- AI-generated content
AI-generated content is a type of content in which text, video audio are generated by an Artificial intelligence model using machine learning.
Meta decided to label it AI in May 2024.
- The plan is to help users know when content is made by AI, giving them more context on what they see.
- Meta will also label manipulated media, like deepfakes, that could mislead users, whether AI-made or not.
- This change responds to concerns about AI’s role in spreading fake content, especially in politics.
- Meta wants to ensure users can make better-informed decisions about what they see online.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data privacy
In 2025, the FTC asked for stricter rules on how social media apps like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok use people’s data.
- Problem with tracking: These apps not only collect data from people who use them but also from people who don’t use them.
- Worry for kids and teens: The FTC is especially worried about how children and teenagers are being tracked.
- Need for better protection: They said companies must be more careful with user data and protect everyone’s privacy better.
- State-Level Regulations on Social Media Growth
Social media is lately filled with all kinds of content, including sexual. Considering this, several laws have been passed in the last few years, including some latest in tech policy press.
- Many states are creating their own laws to regulate social media, especially for kids.
States began mandating parental permission for kids to use social media in 2023. - A Texas law, effective in 2024, requires social media sites to reveal their algorithm use for kids and offer tools for parental monitoring.
- New York’s laws, like the SAFE Act and the Child Data Protection Act, are intended to limit social media’s influence on young users and restrict the collection of their personal data.
The government’s crackdown on synthetic media and deepfakes
How does the government respond to false information?
Creating or disseminating explicit deepfakes without permission is now prohibited by the UK government. Anyone caught doing this could be imprisoned for up to two years starting in 2025.
The purpose of this new rule is to stop online abuse and protect users from dangerous content.
The government wants to ensure that people are not harmed by deepfakes and other forms of manipulated media.
Content Moderation Responsibilities
In 2025, social media platforms will have stricter rules to follow:
- Platforms must follow laws, like the EU’s Digital Services Act, to quickly remove illegal content.
- Companies must explain their content rules and how they use algorithms to protect users and be clear.
- Platforms must stop harmful content like hate speech and lies to keep kids and teens safe from it.
- Platforms must take down bad content, like terrorist material, within one hour.
- Content moderation should protect user privacy, with a fair way for users to appeal decisions.
Conclusion
Social media rule changes are important to keep people’s personal information safe and secure.. TikTok, Instagram, and X will need to follow these rules.
Moreover, there are stronger laws about protecting privacy, handling harmful content, and controlling AI-generated posts. As in the past lot of people use AI for blackmailing and using it wrong.
These changes are especially for kids and teenagers. However, in a recent political conflict situation, we have seen some misuse of such laws, too.
Some accounts, despite following all the rules, still end up being accounted for as felonies. Is it fair, or do we really reserve the right to have our opinion?
