The Money Behind Mommy: Addressing the Exploitation of Kidfluencers on Social Media

Authors

Emma Goodlet

Abstract

Child Influencers, or “kidfluencers,” have become prevalent on social media platforms and have amassed great fame. Kidfluencers are capable of making millions of dollars each year, but the industry remains largely unregulated because these children are not subject to typical child labor laws. Kidfluencers often suffer from financial and sexual exploitation, and psychological harm as a result of this exploitation. There are few effective federal laws to protect kidfluencers from exploitation and harm on social media, which has allowed kidfluencer exploitation to run rampant. Some states have begun to enact laws to protect kidfluencers in a similar manner to child actors and performers, but many states continue to lack adequate protections at all. This article examines what influencers are and how kidfluencers have risen to fame, the exploitation and harms incurred by kidfluencers, the current state, federal, and international laws to protect this vulnerable population, and proposes the expansion and amendment of current laws that may prevent further kidfluencer exploitation and provide remedies for children already harmed.

First Page

191

Recommended Citation

Emma Goodlet, The Money Behind Mommy: Addressing the Exploitation of Kidfluencers on Social Media, 9 Bus. Entrepreneurship & Tax L. Rev. 191 (2025).
Available at: https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/betr/vol9/iss2/8