A new Texas bill was recently approved by the House last week. The bill mandates that digital service providers, including social media platforms, obtain parental consent before allowing minors to create social media accounts.
HB 18 would have parents or guardians provide consent for their child through a toll-free number, a video conference or through email. To verify the identity of the parent or guardian, government-issued identification may be requested and collected. After confirming the identity, digital service providers would be obligated to delete this information.
“We’re going to equip our parents to better protect our kids,” the bill’s author, Rep. Shelby Slawson said.
According to Slawson, the proposed bill intends to reduce a minor's vulnerability to bullying, harassment and exposure to advertisements for products that are illegal for minors, including alcohol, gambling, tobacco and pornography.
Slawson's proposed legislation mandates that digital service providers must provide parents or guardians with the option to enable the provider's highest privacy settings permanently before seeking consent. If providers use algorithms to automate the suggestion, promotion, or ranking of information, they must disclose to the minor's account how they are being utilized.
HB 18, as amended, was passed in its third reading by the Texas House 125- 20. The bill will now move to the Senate for further approval.
But that is not the only bill aimed at limiting social media use for minors. Another would prohibit most teenagers from using social media at all.
Frisco Rep. Jared Patterson previously proposed a bill that would require social media platforms to verify a user is 18 years old or older. A copy of a driver’s license and a photo to verify the identity of the account holder would be needed before a user can start scrolling through social media.
“Social media is the pre-1964 cigarette,” Patterson said in an official statement. “Once thought to be perfectly safe for users, social media access to minors has led to remarkable rises in self-harm, suicide and mental health issues.”
Patterson’s bill entered the first of three readings on March 1, 2023, but has not made further progress as of now.
