US States and UK Reject or Pursue Minor Social Media Bans

Lawmakers in the United States and United Kingdom are diverging in their approaches to restricting social media access for minors. In the US, the Kentucky House of Representatives unanimously passed House Bill 227, which would ban children under 15 from large social media platforms without parental consent. The bill targets platforms with over $1 billion in annual advertising revenue, requiring them to eliminate targeted ads and restrict addictive features like infinite scrolling and autoplay videos.

Virginia is pursuing a different path as Attorney General Jay Jones appeals a federal court injunction that blocked a law imposing a one-hour daily limit for children under 16. NetChoice, representing several tech companies, successfully argued that the law likely violates the First Amendment. Similar efforts are appearing elsewhere in the US, such as Indiana, where Governor Mike Braun signed a law requiring parental consent for users under 16.

Meanwhile, UK Members of Parliament voted 307 to 173 against a blanket ban for children under 16. Instead, they supported a proposal by Education Minister Olivia Bailey to grant the government flexible regulation-making powers. These powers would allow the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to restrict specific ages and features. The UK government has launched a consultation period ending May 26 to gather expert and parental input before finalizing these restrictions.