Representative Ro Khanna said Sunday that Meta’s recent $18 billion legal settlement falls short of protecting young users, arguing that voluntary industry pledges cannot replace federal laws regulating social media algorithms.
Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the California Democrat addressed the landmark agreement in which the parent company of Facebook and Instagram agreed to pay nearly $18 billion and introduce daily screen time caps, nighttime modes, and school restrictions to resolve allegations regarding youth mental health.
Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, noted that the agreed-upon two-hour daily limit does little to alter typical usage patterns.
“Meta agreed to this because the average use of a young person on Instagram is about an hour anyway,” Khanna told host Dana Bash. “So they don’t see much competitive downside from agreeing to these terms.”
He added that the platform’s underlying systems remain unchanged by the agreement.
“Meta can still have harmful design on Instagram that is feeding junk to your kids, that is feeding information about suicidal thoughts or eating disorders,” he said. “So this is a step forward, but it is not nearly sufficient.”
Khanna called on Congress to establish an enforceable “duty of care” for online platforms rather than relying on tech executives to act voluntarily. When asked why Democrats had not passed such measures during their previous periods in the majority, Khanna cited heavy industry lobbying and a general lack of technical understanding on Capitol Hill.
To address the broader impact of emerging technologies on the workforce, Khanna proposed taxing artificial intelligence and robotics to incentivize human labor, alongside creating a federal jobs program called “Work for America” to employ young people in community rebuilding projects.
Turning to energy and infrastructure, Khanna addressed the nationwide expansion of data centers driven by AI development. While progressive allies such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have demanded a federal freeze on new construction, Khanna advocated for state-level discretion with strict local limits.
“I support a ban in residential communities and a ban on farmland,” Khanna said. He stated that development should be permitted on brownfields or deindustrialized land only if facilities do not increase local power rates, deplete community water supplies, or fail to deliver broader educational and economic support.
Khanna also touched on upcoming Democratic primary contests. Defending his endorsement of 80-year-old Senator Ed Markey in Massachusetts, Khanna said his prior calls to replace the party’s “old guard” referred to policy stances on globalization, trade, and health care rather than physical age.
Addressing the Texas Senate race, Khanna said he plans to speak with Representative Jasmine Crockett to encourage her to campaign for Democratic nominee James Talarico, who won the primary contest between them.
Looking ahead to the 2028 presidential cycle, Khanna reiterated that he is weighing a run for the White House. He stated that a potential bid by Ocasio-Cortez would have “no bearing” on his plans, framing his platform around regional wealth disparities between tech hubs and blue-collar regions.
“One-third of the nation’s wealth is in my district, $20 trillion,” Khanna said. “Where I grew up, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, this economy of the future isn’t working for them.”
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