Bluesky warns teen social media bans could boost Big Tech dominance

Bluesky’s chief operating officer says teen social media bans may end up strengthening the largest platforms instead of opening the market to healthier rivals. Rose Wang told CNBC that she supports youth safety and regulation, but warned that heavy compliance requirements could make it much harder for smaller companies to compete. She said the industry could eventually be dominated by only a few major platforms with large legal and compliance teams. Her comments come as countries such as Australia have introduced or considered stricter agebased restrictions on social media use. Australia banned social media for users under 16 in December, and other governments, including in Europe and the U.K., are examining similar measures. Wang argued that regulation should protect young users while still leaving room for innovation and smaller entrants.