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Pinterest CEO Bill Ready advocates for a global ban on social media for children under 16 to protect their mental health.

The Chief Executive Officer of Pinterest, Bill Ready, has made a bold call for governments to ban social media access for users under the age of 16. 

In a recent opinion piece, he argued that immediate action is needed to protect children from the dangers of the digital world.

Ready did not mince words regarding the industry's failures. He compared tech executives who refuse to prioritize youth safety to 20th-century tobacco executives who denied health risks. 

He noted that children are currently living through a massive "social experiment" due to unfiltered access to these platforms.

Research has linked social media usage to increased anxiety, depression, and poor concentration among young people. 

Ready pointed out that just like alcohol and tobacco, strict age limits are necessary to save lives. He praised Australia for leading the way with a ban and urged other nations to follow suit.

Pinterest has already restricted social features for users under 16, a move Ready says has not hurt their popularity with Gen Z. Several countries, including France, Malaysia, and Indonesia, are already considering or implementing similar restrictions. 

The debate is heating up, but the message from this tech leader is clear: safety must come before profit.