The local government of Utah just signed two bills that aim to protect minors using social media. Companies like Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok would be required by the government to obtain a parental consent before children on the app could create accounts on their platforms.
Utah Social Media Regulation Act
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has signed two social media regulations into law. Engadget reported that this would require social media companies like Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, etc., to get parental consent from minors using their platform. This makes Utah the first state to impose this regulation in the United States.
H.B. 311 and S.B. 152 are the new laws in Utah that would verify the age of any resident in the state who makes a social media account. Once the platform has detected anyone under the age of 18, parental consent will be needed for you to present in order for your account to get processed.
The bill also states that social media firms will allow parents to access posts and messages from the accounts of their children. To ensure their safety, the laws also prohibit social media platforms from displaying advertisements, showing minor accounts in search results, information collection, targeted content, and integrating addictive technologies.
Children using the apps will also experience a curfew on social media, locking them out of their accounts between 10:30 PM and 6:30 AM. This time frame will be based on the location of a user's device unless it was adjusted with consent from the parent.
Imposing the law remains unclear on how the authorities intend to enforce these restrictions or how they will apply these to teenagers who already have existing social media accounts. But as it was signed already, NBC News reported that both laws are scheduled to take effect next year in March.
Introducing the Bill
This legislation was introduced by Republican Senator Michael McKell and passed by Republican Governor Spencer Cox. Mckell stated, "As a lawmaker and parent, I believe this bill is the best path forward to prevent our children from succumbing to the negative and sometimes life-threatening effects of social media."
CNN reported that this law comes after years of lawmakers in the United States calling out for new restrictions to protect children and teenagers online. Concerns about social platforms led to harmful instances like bullying and harassment, which is one of the main causes of the rising numbers of teens with mental health crises in the country.
Meanwhile, lawmakers from different states are also working to pass legislation that would require companies to get parental permission under the age of 16 years old. The states that will follow Utah to regulate similar legislation are Connecticut and Ohio.
Last year, the New York Times reported that California also enacted an online safety law that will require social media platforms, video games, and other services on the internet to install safety hazards for teens like the highest privacy settings by default for users under 18.
