Utah governor signs new laws requiring parents' consent for minors to use ... trends now
Utah's governor signed into law two bills this week that regulate social media use for children and minors and put more power into the hands of their parents and guardians.
On Thursday, Governor Spencer Cox signed H.B. 311 and S.B. 152 which require parental consent for minors to create profiles on social media sites and give parents access to their child's accounts.
'We're no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth,' Cox said on Twitter Thursday afternoon.
H.B. 311 goes one step further when it comes to social media regulation, banning companies from using addictive features or designs and implementing curfews.
The new laws come as TikTok's CEO testified before U.S. Congress about the app and as at least four other states consider similar legislation involving online platforms.
Utah's governor signed into law two bills this week that regulate social media use for children and minors and put more power into the hands of their parents and guardians
Governor Spencer Cox signed H.B. 311 and S.B. 152 which require parental consent for minors to create profiles on social media sites and give parents access to their child's accounts
The new laws come as TikTok's CEO testified before U.S. Congress and was grilled on the app
In a tweet Thursday, Cox said it was his responsibility as a parent and lawmaker to protect the children of the state from the 'toxic' social media platforms.
'Youth rates of depression and other mental health issues are on the rise because of social media companies,' the Republican governor stated.
'As leaders, and parents, we have a responsibility to protect our young people,' he continued in a tweet with a video of him talking about the new laws.
The new laws prohibit social media companies from displaying ads, showing accounts held by minors in search results, and collecting info on children.
The apps will also be unable to suggest or target content and ads to minors.
One of the most notable features is the curfew which automatically locks children out of their accounts at 10.30pm and does not allow them back on until 6.30am.
The locks are activated by the location of a user's phone and the feature can be adjusted with parental consent.
Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook now have until March 1, 2024 to comply.
If they do not adhere to the new laws, they may be punished in civil or criminal court.
In a tweet Thursday, Cox said it was his responsibility as a parent and lawmaker to protect the children of the state from the 'toxic' social media platforms
'Youth rates of depression and other mental health issues are on the rise because of social media companies,' the Republican governor stated in a video Thursday
'As leaders, and parents, we have a responsibility to protect our young people,' he continued in a tweet with a video of him talking about the new laws
