President Claudia Sheinbaum has signed a presidential decree requiring digital platforms, including TikTok, Meta and X, to protect children from violent, sexual and other harmful content online. The platforms have one month to comply, and the government has said it will back legislation to penalise companies that fail to implement the decree.
Under the decree, platforms must by design restrict exposure to content involving violence, harassment or sexual abuse, and immediately remove any risky material from the profiles of minors.
Sheinbaum said the government would back legislation to penalise companies that fail to implement the decree. "If no progress is made, it would become a law," she told a news conference.
"The goal is for digital platforms to take on some of the responsibility and refrain from disseminating, promoting, or spreading content related to this type of information, including criminal acts or violent behaviour," she said earlier, when she indicated she would introduce the decree.
The decree comes after an attack by two 18-year-olds on their former high school in the northern state of Coahuila in early October that killed one person and wounded three others.
Government adviser Luisa Maria Alcalde said digital platforms would have one month to comply. Officials said they had already discussed the matter with representatives of social media outlets and streaming platforms such as Meta, Microsoft, Apple, TikTok, Google, X and Huawei.
The measure follows a period of heightened legal scrutiny of platforms over child safety. In August, Meta agreed to pay an $18bn settlement in a major US federal case accusing it of endangering children, and was forced to introduce new safety features on platforms including Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuit alleged Meta had violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data from minors.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The decree makes child safety a legal design requirement in Mexico: platforms must build in restrictions on violent, sexual and harassing content and immediately remove risky material from minors' profiles.
- It follows directly from a deadly school attack, reflecting a growing international push to connect online content to real-world harm and to hold platforms accountable.
- The one-month compliance window is short, and Sheinbaum has warned that inaction will lead to legislation with penalties.
Background
Governments in several countries have been tightening rules on how social media platforms treat minors, and the Mexican decree is part of that broader trend. In August, Meta agreed to an $18bn settlement in a major US federal case accusing it of endangering children, and was forced to add new safety features to Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuit alleged Meta had violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data from minors.
The Mexican measure was prompted by an attack by two 18-year-olds on their former high school in the northern state of Coahuila in early October that killed one person and wounded three others. Officials say they have already held discussions with representatives of Meta, Microsoft, Apple, TikTok, Google, X and Huawei about the new requirements.
Key Perspectives
Government of Mexico: The administration argues that platforms must take on some of the responsibility for harmful content, and it has positioned the decree as a first step, with legislation and penalties to follow if companies do not show progress.
Digital platforms: Meta, TikTok, Microsoft, Apple, Google, X and Huawei have been consulted but now face the operational challenge of implementing design-based restrictions and rapid content removal for Mexican users within one month, while also navigating global legal scrutiny over child safety.
Critics and skeptics: Key questions are whether one month is realistic for redesigning safety systems, how compliance will be monitored, and whether content restrictions can be enforced without overreach or unintended effects on speech.
What to Watch
- Whether platforms make visible changes to minors' accounts within the one-month deadline.
- Whether the decree is converted into legislation with penalties, as threatened if no progress is made.
- How the Mexican rules interact with global settlements and safety requirements, including the terms of Meta's US settlement, and whether other governments adopt similar measures.