Penélope Cruz and Chrissy Teigen join a growing list of critics pushing for tougher rules on teen social media use, adding regulatory pressure on Apple and platforms.
Alpha Score of 64 reflects moderate overall profile with strong momentum, weak value, strong quality, moderate sentiment.
A new round of high-profile criticism of social media's impact on teenagers is reviving a regulatory narrative that has weighed on the sector. In a July cover story for Porter Magazine, actor Penélope Cruz called social media "a very dangerous weapon" for children and teenagers because of the ideas and messages they are fed online. She described it as "a type of manipulation that confuses even adults."
Cruz shares two children with husband Javier Bardem. She said parents have to "work much harder" to build trust and create an environment at home where kids feel comfortable sharing what is on their minds. She and Bardem try to spend more time offline as a family, encouraging their children to write by hand, go outdoors, and talk to one another.
Cruz has long spoken against social media for children. In 2021 she told CBS Sunday Morning she uses "very little" social media and will not let her kids use it "until at least 16." In a 2024 Elle interview she said her kids did not have phones and called social media a "cruel experiment" on children. "It’s so easy to be manipulated, especially if you have a brain that is still forming," Cruz said.
Cruz is not alone. Chrissy Teigen said in a 2024 People interview that her "absolute dream" is for her children to stay off social media until after high school. "Unless there are more rules and regulations in place, I would prefer for them not to be on social," Teigen said.
Even tech leaders are taking a harder line. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said earlier this year that becoming a father changed how he views algorithmic feeds and "infinite scroll," adding that he wants his son to "play in the dirt for now" rather than grow up glued to an iPad.
The chorus of prominent critics adds fresh ammunition for lawmakers pushing stricter rules around teen social media use. The U.S. state of Utah passed a law in 2023 requiring parental consent for minors to use social media, similar measures are pending in other states, and federal bills like the Kids Online Safety Act have advanced in committee. Cruz's comments, combined with similar statements from other celebrities and tech founders, amplify the public pressure on platforms such as Meta and Snap.
For Apple, which controls the App Store gate through which nearly all social apps reach U.S. teenage users, the regulatory momentum carries direct business risk. Tougher age-verification mandates, content filtering rules, or legal liability for app store content would increase compliance costs and potentially reduce the volume of in-app purchases and ad revenue flowing through iOS. The U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple already alleges anticompetitive App Store behavior; additional regulatory burdens tied to child safety could invite further scrutiny from state attorneys general.
Cruz said she felt comfortable speaking openly with her parents because they had her at a young age. She hopes to do the same for her kids: "To create a safe environment where they feel that they can ask all the questions and share whatever they need to. And I will listen without judgment."
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