Child labor laws have prevented minors from working long, hazardous hours in factories, mines and retail operations for over a century. But what happens when a child’s work isn’t taking place in a brick-and-mortar setting, but rather it’s in front of a camera in the privacy of a parent’s home for a social media channel such as YouTube, Instagram or TikTok?
These kinds of platforms are creating what some call a wild west environment when it comes to enforcing child labor laws. It’s an arena in which rules and regulations formed during the Industrial Revolution have failed to keep pace with the digital revolution, says Hilary Robinson, an associate professor of law and sociology at Northeastern University’s School of Law.
