utah governor He has signed two bills that could alter how teens in the state can use social media apps. Under the new laws, companies like Meta, Snap and TikTok will need to get parental permission before teens can create accounts on their platforms. Laws also mandate curfew features, parental controls, and age verification.
The laws could drastically change the way social platforms handle the accounts of their youngest users. In addition to parental consent and age verification features, the laws also prohibit companies from “using a design or feature that causes a minor to become addicted to the company’s social media platform.”
For now, it’s unclear how Utah officials intend to enforce the laws or how they will apply to teens’ existing social media accounts. Both laws are expected to enter into force next March.
The effect that social media can have on teens, especially younger ones, has been in the spotlight for some time. Earlier this year, Surgeon General saying that “13 is too early”, referring to the minimum age at which most platforms allow teens to join. Lawmakers in Congress and other states have also proposed laws that would limit teens’ ability to use social networking apps.
However, not everyone agrees that laws restricting teens’ use of social media are the right approach. He Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization that promotes digital rights, has opposed the law, saying it would violate the First Amendment rights of young people. Other groups have expressed similar concerns.
