(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R–Va., announced on Dec. 14, 2023, that he intends to restrict those under the age of 18 from accessing TikTok.
The announcement was made by Gov. Youngkin on the first anniversary of his mental health initiative titled “Right Help, Right Now,” according to the Washington Examiner. That was the same initiative that created the 988 suicide and crisis hotline.
Even though Gov. Youngkin hadn’t issued any policies regarding mental health and social media despite the initiative being two years old, he demonstrated that he would do something about the problem. In its press release, Gov. Youngkin’s office estimated that children spend roughly five hours a day on social media.
“The impact of Chinese Communist Party-affiliated TikTok on our children’s mental health has been detrimental. That’s why we are introducing legislation to restrict access to TikTok for children under 18 in Virginia,” he wrote.
The news from Virginia came after the state of Montana attempted to ban TikTok all around the state. The federal court overturned the attempts of Montana politicians, which were the first of their kind when lawmakers voted for it earlier this year.
TikTok, a company that is owned by America-hating communists from China, previously fought the attempts to ban its app by hiding behind the U.S. Constitution, saying that banning the app is an infringement on the First Amendment.
Virginia also expressed the desire to protect the privacy of children on social media and prohibit all social media companies from using targeted ads on children, using addictive practices or offering virtual merchandise for sale, the Examiner wrote.
In addition to that, Gov. Youngkin promised another $500 million toward the initiative, most of which would go to waivers that allow eligible people with a developmental disability to receive medical, residential and behavioral services, with over 3,000 more waivers for those who are eligible being allowed.
