Utah Governor Spencer Cox has signed new legislation overhauling the state’s approach to regulating children’s social media use, amidst ongoing legal challenges against the state’s pioneering restrictions. The revised laws, aimed at defending children’s mental health, require social media companies to verify users’ ages and modify features for minors, such as limiting direct messages and disabling autoplay. The original requirement for parental consent for account creation was dropped to address privacy concerns, though parents can still access their children’s accounts and sue companies if they believe excessive app use has harmed their child’s mental health.
The legislation is part of Utah’s broader effort to mitigate the negative impacts of social media on youth, sparking a legal tussle with giants like TikTok and Meta. These companies face a lawsuit from Utah for allegedly making their platforms addictively harmful to children. In response to the state’s initial laws, NetChoice, a trade association including TikTok and Meta, filed a lawsuit, prompting adjustments to the legislation.
Furthermore, the laws prohibit the sale of minors’ data and task the state’s Division of Consumer Protection with setting age verification guidelines. Starting October 1, social media companies must choose between enforcing a curfew for minors or facing limited legal defenses in cases where apps are blamed for harming children’s mental health. The laws also encourage limiting minors’ app usage and enforce a nighttime blackout, offering companies more legal protection if they comply.
Additionally, Cox signed other bills focusing on child safety, including funding firearms training for teachers and enhancing legal protections for clergy who report child abuse.
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