Legal systems are constantly changing. You can count on one thing: as time goes by and societal norms shift, the laws that govern us will also be altered to adapt to a different era. And many people are fairly optimistic. They hope that new laws will create a better, brighter, safer future for everyone.
Redditor u/seesnawsnappy sparked an interesting discussion about what the future of our planet might look like. They asked everyone to share their thoughts on the things that are legal now that might not be in the future, and many of the answers really make you think about what needs to be improved. We’ve collected some of the most interesting insights, so scroll down to check them.

#1

Hopefully there will be legal restrictions on influencers using their children to make money. As far as I know, there’s nothing in place now that protects these kids like there would be if they were on a tv set.

Image credits: iliketurtles861

#2

Child beauty pagents, I hope.

Image credits: Normal-Mongoose-6571

#3

Marrying minors.

Image credits: Willcutus_of_Borg

Change, real positive change, takes a very long time to ‘stick.’ It’s not a given that the laws that govern society will automatically get better and better. Progress isn’t a given. If you want a specific outcome, you have to fight for it. Changing laws and institutions for the better often takes years, if not decades, of dedication, perseverance, and compromise.

First, you must define what ‘better’ and ‘progress’ might mean for you and society. While one individual might value economic progress and scientific innovations, another might see harmony with nature as a sign of a truly advanced and empathetic civilization.

Moreover, even though international law exists, one nation’s laws can be very much at odds with another’s. Progress (however you choose to define it) in one geographical place and one era isn’t guaranteed elsewhere and during another time period.

#4

Hopefully, declawing cats for non-medical reasons. It’s highly discouraged nearly everywhere and states are starting to ban it.

Image credits: Pikanyaa

#5

Companies holding onto your information FOREVER. There needs to be a "right to forget" rule for ISPs, google, websites etc.

Image credits: Strange_farm77

#6

Ads for sports gambling .

Image credits: d-scan

There are so many areas where you can potentially make improvements to the legal system that it can feel utterly overwhelming. Where do you start?

Do you prioritize the fight to protect the environment and push back against climate change? Or do you go for social justice first?

Do you dedicate your resources to changing and improving society’s perspective on mental and physical health? Do you fight for greater transparency in politics and business? Or do you focus on what’s new, fresh, and what seemingly everyone’s talking about? E.g., creating better regulations and building a framework to protect workers from potentially losing their jobs in the future due to developments in the artificial intelligence and machine learning fields?

#7

Leaving trash in orbit.

Image credits: reasonablenylon

#8

Puppy mills/domestic pet breeding in the US without proper licenses and regulations.

Image credits: Cute-Refrigerator119

#9

Children’s “reform” camps, treatment centers, wilderness programs, etc.

Hundreds, if not *thousands* of “troubled” children have been sent to these camps only to be abused in various ways by the adults that are responsible for them. I’m surprised they’re not outlawed even now, but I guess I shouldn’t be given that it’s an entire industry based on exploiting children that need help.

Image credits: jimothyjonathans

While some laws have good intentions, they don’t always align with science. The BBC reports that New York recently passed a law on regulating “addictive” social media feeds for kids: the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act. The point of the law is to protect children from the dangers of the online world. The idea is that from 2025 onwards, parental consent will be required before kids under 18 years of age can use apps with “addictive feeds.” In other words, it’s an attempt to push back against algorithmic recommendations in social media app feeds, which can hook users in.

Furthermore, the law aims to prevent apps from sending kids notifications between midnight and 6 am. Also, better age verification will be required, while kids will also be protected from having their personal data collected.

However, as the BBC points out, the science regarding social media use isn’t as clear-cut as it might seem. While some warn that social media (over)use can be very damaging to people’s mental and emotional health, other researchers note that moderate use can have a positive effect.

#10

Charging subscriptions for things we bought.

Image credits: LordOdin99

#11

Unpaid internships.

Image credits: of_utmost_importance

#12

Not having safe staffing ratios in all medical facilities. A nurse to patient ratio in ltc of 1:40 is not safe.

Image credits: Deathbecomesher13

What do you think might become illegal in the far-off future, Pandas? Are you optimistic about the way things are changing or do you think the legal system might work against your interests? What do you personally think legal and social progress looks like? Share your opinions in the comments.

#13

Prolonging suffering in patients kept artificially alive, with no hope of a meaningful recovery, by guilty family members.

Oh and for profit healthcare.

Image credits: swagger_dragon

#14

Corporations buying up family homes as income streams.

Image credits: Psigun

#15

Posting your child’s entire life on a social media app.

Image credits: Anxious_Leading_4910

#16

Those really bright headlights in cars.

Image credits: snack__pack

#17

Making deepfake AI p**n of other people without their consent.

I know some places have passed laws already, but I think it will be illegal almost everywhere after 25 years.

Image credits: FantasyScribe

#18

"Unskippable ads. Fingers crossed.".

Image credits: mayboo_loves

#19

With any luck, members of Congress buying stocks.

Image credits: NewAndImprovedJess

#20

Recruitment ghosting. I mean if Australia can make a law saying you don't have to answer work emails after work, anything is possible.

Image credits: SmudgeHK

#21

Free water. Looking at you Nestle.

Image credits: funlegion

#22

Lawn treatment that poisons the ground so much so they require signs warning people and dogs. .

#23

Buying a drone without a license.

Image credits: Rio__Grande

#24

Prescription d***s advertising, hopefully...

Image credits: heavyMTL

#25

I honestly can’t believe I can buy an ebike that can go 60 mph and drive it on the road, sidewalk or on bike paths and cops cant do anything about it because it’s technically a bicycle.

Image credits: lucasb780

#26

Men wearing thongs (without pants) to parent-teacher conferences. There is no law against this currently, but after tomorrow evening, the wheels will be in motion.

Image credits: Love_Cannon

#27

Sirens in radio ads.

#28

Cigarettes. NZ has already got a rolling age ban.

Image credits: send-me-panties-pics

#29

Tanning Beds. I cannot fathom why they are legal now.

Image credits: MissMaybelline

#30

Ancestry companies selling your DNA data.

Everyone who has ever sent some spit to ancestry dot com or 23 n Me or any other one of those ancestry tracking companies has had all the data in their DNA sold to big businesses and law enforcement.

It's how they caught the golden state killer. His nephew was tracking his genealogy and was a match to a crime scene. I'm ok with catching killers but where will we draw the line in the future? Imagine getting busted for littering because your cousin's DNA matched some gum you spat out.

And insurance companies are buying DNA data in bulk. If they know a certain gene makes you more likely to have a disease, and a large group of people with that gene live in a certain area, they can set insurance coverage and premiums based on that info to screw you.

There is zero regulation on what these genealogy sites do with your DNA. This is only the beginning.

Image credits: Glum_Fruit_6369

#31

Conversion therapy, it's outlawed in a lot of places, but there's still a lot that need to catch up.

#32

The massive amounts of personal data collection companies do so that they can resell it. Some companies have endless "job openings" not because they have a job to fill, but because by applying you give them the right to resell your personal information and data. You're literally handing them money rather than applying for a job.

Then the companies they sell to have next to zero security and do who knows what with it.

Stuff like that is out of control, but hopefully will get locked down in the next decade.

#33

If I'm hopeful, all of the horrendous s**t they put in our food.

#34

A lot of AI generated content.

Image credits: BigReputation73

#35

Presidential immunity.

#36

Taking photos and videos of people without their permission and using them however you want.

These laws were made for a world where everyone didn't have a high quality camera in their pocket and access to a global audience at the click of a button.

#37

Hopefully family vloggers.

#38

Resin 3D printing. Right now you can order bottles of the stuff on Amazon, but UV resin is highly toxic and poorly studied, and can really mess up aquatic life if dumped down the drain. As it gets more popular I wouldn't be surprised if it became a controlled chemical substance.

#39

Social media for children, hopefully. Its extreme negative impacts on mental health are undeniable.

#40

Owning your own property. Theyll call it a subscription... And you'll never own it. Just rent it forever from the rich who own everything.

#41

I hope payday loans and rent to own things are illegal soon. It’s all predatory and targeted at poor, uneducated populations. People who run these businesses are the scum of the earth imo.

#42

Here's wishing eternal surveillance makes the list.

#43

HOAs, hopefully.

#44

With the way things have been going, talking against the government might become illegal one of these days.

#45

Single use plastic (I hope).

#46

Driving......with self-driving cars insurance companies will decide human error is an unnecessary liability.

#47

Not having your kids vaccinated. ^(Hopefully).

#48

Hopefully gas stations selling random d***s. And I'm pro d**g legalization generally but gas stations selling random chemical concoctions with no regulatory oversight ain't the way to do it.

#49

I could see some places outlawing VPN’s.

Image credits: rps215

#50

Having cars that don't double as surveillance devices.

#51

Minors buying energy drinks.

#52

Being anonymous on the internet.

#53

Obvious pyramid schemes?

#54

Being homeless.

#55

Leaving your house whenever you want to.

#56

Corporate lobbying might be heavily regulated or banned as people push for fairer representation.

#57

Mass short selling by large corporations.

Edit: My bad, I meant hedge funds.

#58

At this rate, freedom of speech.

#59

Circumcision.

#60

Selling or allowing possession of smartphones or computers to anyone under 21. Internet addiction research is slowly but gaining momentum.