Overview:
Several states have passed legislation focused on protecting children from the ills of social media.
California made a significant move to protect children from the harms of social media with Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval of a bill aimed at limiting “addictive feeds” for minors.
On Friday, Newsom signed Senate Bill 976, known as the Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act, introduced by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). Supported by groups like the California School Administrators, Common Sense Media, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, the bill has drawn attention for its potential impact on tech giants like TikTok and Instagram.
These bills aimed at protecting kids and teens from social media are making their rounds in several states with bipartisan support. In June of this year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed two bills into law. One of the bills, the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, will require parental consent for social media companies to use “addictive feeds” powered by recommendation algorithms on kids and teens under 18. The other, the New York Child Data Protection Act, would limit data collection on minors without consent and restrict the sale of such information but does not require age verification. That law will take effect in a year.
Governors in states like Florida and Maryland are receiving widespread support. In March of this year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill requiring parents’ consent for kids under 16 to hold social media accounts. In May, Maryland Governor Wes Moore (D) signed a broad privacy bill into law and the Maryland Kids Code banning the use of features meant to keep minors on social media for extended periods, like autoplay or spammy notifications.
However, opponents, such as the ACLU and industry groups, argue the law could infringe on free speech, raise privacy concerns, and harm vulnerable youth, such as LGBTQ+ children, who rely on online communities for support.
This new law in California will take effect on January 1, 2027. It will require parental consent for apps to provide curated feeds to minors and restrict notifications during school hours. It also mandates that social media posts appear in chronological order to reduce the addictive nature of algorithm-driven content.
This bill adds to ongoing legal battles between California and social media companies over their responsibility for the well-being of young users, following lawsuits accusing platforms like Meta of designing apps to addict children.