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Utah just passed legislation that is set to limit minors’ social media use and require parental permission for kids to use platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, but there’s no clear plan on how it would be enforced.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed two bills into effect Thursday that prevent children from using social media from 10:30 P.M. to 6:30 A.M., require age verification to join social media and offer the opportunity to sue companies on behalf of children who can claim they were harmed by social media.Both laws are collectively known as the Social Media Regulation Act, and are set to take effect on March 1, 2024.
The legislation also seeks to limit children’s exposure to addictive features on social media and targeted advertising that could cause damage.
“I think we need to do something,” Cox said. “These are first-of-their-kind bills in the United States. That’s huge.”
But the bills, SB152 and HB311, face backlash from opponents over concerns that it violates teens’ privacy and freedom of speech.
“These types of laws are imperfect and maybe they’re not respecting the rights of minors, but maybe they will help build societal inertia and get these out of control companies to be better,” says Jennifer Grygiel, a communications professor at Syracuse University who researches social media.
Social media companies across the web generally adhere to a 13 and up policy, meaning they ask users to confirm that they’re at least 13 years old before enrolling to use the site—but there are plenty of ways to get around the age requirement that clever kids have been using for years.
“Young people will find workarounds. They’ll figure it out,” Grygiel says.
Parents have long worried that the rise in teen…
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