Officials weigh holding social media companies accountable for teen takeovers

Ald. William Hall was optimistic leaving a virtual meeting with Meta representatives Monday, with the social media giant being tasked with helping Chicago deter so-called “teen trends.”

The events, which are often promoted online, The meeting was the first of several to discuss have led to issues in the downtown area and in numerous neighborhoods, leaving officials questioning how best to limit their publicity and potential for disrupting traffic and business.

“Whether it’s TikTok, Meta, Google, whoever. They must do a job and adhere to what they say are the guidelines,” the 6th Ward Alderman told NBC 5’s Jenn Schanz.

Hall is currently in the process of re-working an ordinance to hold social media companies liable for teen takeovers, for failure to remove posts promoting the events. His colleagues on the City Council previously expressed concern over too much money being spent on litigation.

No longer in his ordinance is a $50,000 fine to social media platforms, but Monday Hall and others city leaders met with Meta to see where they can find common ground.

“I’m very confident that we’re going to be on the same page rather than an adversarial posture,” said 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, who was also in the meeting.

Hopkins is re-working an ordinance of his own involving snap curfews, which Mayor Brandon Johnson has previously said could lead to over-policing. A new version of the ordinance is set to be discussed during the during the next public safety committee meeting.

“Police could have established procedures where they announce the intention to impose it on an anticipated teen trend,” he said. “If we can find common ground with language that works for the police department and works for the mayor, I think that’s going to be the compromise version and those discussions are ongoing and I hope to have something very soon,” Hopkins said.

He’s hopeful the ordinance could be voted upon next month.

There is a current 10 p.m. curfew for those 17 and under.

Hall said he was first motivated to get involved when he attended a funeral for a 14-year-old, shot during a teen takeover this winter in the Loop.

“If social media companies on that night which that child went downtown would have stop, blocked, limited, changed the cadence of these invitations maybe that child would have been alive,” Hall said.

Teen gatherings tend to spike in the warmer months. In the last couple of weeks there’s been takeovers reported in Hyde Park where several cars were damaged, and there were reports of a large youth gathering in the South Loop where people were seen doing doughnuts in an intersection.

Hall said Monday’s meeting is a step forward. He along with public safety officials will be meeting with Meta again next Monday, when they’ll start to draft a framework over how the company can better work with CPD.

NBC 5 has reached out to Meta for a response and has not heard back.

Meantime, there are teen takeovers already being promoted online for this week. CPD tells NBC Chicago they are aware of the posts online, and that additional patrols will be in the area of where the parties are planned.

Community advocate Early Walker is encouraging parents to come out too.

“As these kids are calling teen takeovers, I am calling a parent takeover,” he said, promoting the event online. “The hope is if these kids show up, someone will see somebody that knows somebody and eventually it will become a chain effect.”

The parent takeover is slated for Tuesday evening in Hyde Park. Walker says part of the goal is support local businesses, while making parent and guardian presence known.