Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has thrown his support behind Australia's measure banning social media for teens under 16, urging governments worldwide to implement similar regulations. Ready claims current social media platforms "are not safe for young people under 16" and calls for enforcement mechanisms to hold tech companies accountable.

Ready, who leads a platform with over 50% Gen Z users, makes a distinction between Pinterest and other social networks. Pinterest already restricts teens under 16 from messaging features and makes teen accounts private by default. The company considers itself a "visual search platform" rather than social media, maintaining its policies should remain unchanged.

Despite Pinterest's claims, the platform faced safety concerns in 2023 when its algorithm surfaced images of young girls to adults seeking such content. After NBC News reported the issue, Pinterest made profiles for teens under 16 private and "not discoverable." Ready argues that prioritizing safety actually builds trust with younger users.