Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has signed a decree requiring digital platforms, including TikTok, Meta and X, to protect children from violent, sexual and other harmful content online.
Under the decree, platforms must design systems to limit minors' access to content involving violence, harassment or sexual abuse, and must immediately remove any dangerous material from the profiles of underage users.
Speaking at a press conference, Sheinbaum said the government would back legislation to punish companies that fail to comply with the decree. "If there is no progress, it will become law," she said.
The Mexican leader also stressed that the goal is to force digital platforms to bear part of the responsibility and to stop them from distributing, promoting or spreading content linked to criminal or violent acts.
The decree follows an attack by two 18-year-olds on their former high school in the northern state of Coahuila in early October, which left one person dead and three injured.
Government adviser Luisa Maria Alcalde said the platforms have one month to comply with the decree. Mexican officials said they have discussed the issue with representatives of social media and streaming platforms, including Meta, Microsoft, Apple, TikTok, Google, X and Huawei.
Mexico's move is part of a global wave to protect minors online, as European governments and Australia tighten oversight of digital platforms and many U.S. states pursue child protection measures. Brazil has also taken steps to strengthen online child protection. Such measures raise questions about how to balance the protection of minors with ensuring privacy and freedom of expression.
In August, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion in a major U.S. federal lawsuit accusing it of endangering children and was required to introduce new safety features for platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuit alleged that Meta violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting, retaining and using personal data of children under 13 without adequate parental consent.
