Multiple US States Advance Youth Social Media Restrictions

Several U.S. states are advancing legislation to restrict youth social media access and combat online addiction. In Massachusetts, the House of Representatives passed a bill banning social media for children under 14 and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. The bill also implements a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in public schools. Governor Maura Healey has proposed even stricter limits, extending the ban to all minors under 18 and targeting addictive algorithms.

Similarly, a North Carolina Senate committee advanced House Bill 301, which would ban social media for children under 14 and require parental consent for those 14 and 15. The North Carolina legislation uniquely includes mandates for school districts to establish AI policies and content standards. Meta has expressed support for the bill, proposing app store age verification to ensure compliance.

In Michigan, the Senate passed the 'Kids Over Clicks' package, which prohibits addictive, data-driven feeds for minors without parental consent and bans targeted advertising to children. The laws also restrict overnight notifications and block access to dangerous AI chatbots. While some Republicans in Michigan pushed for a total ban for those under 16, the current package focuses on algorithmic restrictions and data privacy.

Critics of these movements point to the potential for First Amendment violations and invasive age verification requirements for adults. They also cite data from Australia, where a similar ban for users under 16 reportedly failed to reduce cyberbullying and was frequently bypassed using VPNs.