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CNN
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Utah governor signs controversial bill A bill passed Thursday that would require minors to get parental consent before joining social media platforms, the most aggressive move yet by state and federal legislatures to protect children online. This was a major measure.
As part of a bill called the Utah Social Media Regulation Act. Social media platforms will implement age verification for all Utah residents, ban all advertising to minors, impose a curfew, and restrict sites from 10:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. for under-18s. It is necessary to close the area until 3:30 p.m. The bill would also require social platforms to allow parents to access their teens’ accounts.
The law is The bill, introduced by Republican Sen. Michael McKell and passed by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox, is scheduled to go into effect on March 1, 2024.
“After all, [the bill] In a statement to CNN, McKell said the growth of social media sites has led to a “significant increase” in depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among teens in Utah and across the country. “As a legislator and a parent, I believe this bill is the best path forward to preventing children from succumbing to the harmful and sometimes life-threatening effects of social media.”
The bill comes amid concerns that social platforms are leading young users down toxic rabbit holes, enabling new forms of bullying and harassment, and further exacerbating what has been called the teen mental health crisis. The enactment comes after lawmakers have been pushing for new safeguards to protect teens online for years. Country. However, no federal law has been passed to date.
Utah is the first in an extensive list of states to introduce similar proposals. Lawmakers in Connecticut and Ohio, for example, are working to pass bills that would require social media companies to obtain parental permission before allowing users under 16 to participate.
“We think it’s possible that approaches like Utah’s bill could trickle down to plans in other states, especially if no action is taken at the federal level,” said Michael Inouye, an analyst at ABI Research. . “Eventually, if enough states enact similar or related laws, there will be an opportunity at the federal level to codify these (possibly) disparate state laws under a U.S.-wide policy. We could see a more coordinated effort.”
Industry experts and Big Tech companies have long urged the U.S. government to introduce regulations to keep young social media users safe. However, some people expressed concerns about the bill’s impact even before it was passed. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, said certain Utah rules regarding user privacy are “dangerous,” saying the bill would make user data less secure and internet access less private. It added that it violates the fundamental rights of young users. .
“Social media provides a lifeline for many young people, along with community, education and conversation,” said Jason Kelly, EFF’s Director of Activities. “They use it in part because it can be private…This law restricts access to social media and requires parental consent and supervision for minors. would immeasurably undermine young people’s ability to protect their privacy and prevent them from exercising their rights.”
Lucy Ivey, an 18-year-old TikTok influencer who attends Utah Valley University, agreed, saying that some of her friends in the LGBTQ community may have difficulty with the change.
“My concern about this bill is that it takes away privacy from teens, and many kids don’t have good relationships with their parents or have access to social media. Sometimes they don’t have the trusted guardian they need,” she told CNN. “I’m thinking about my LGBTQ friends who didn’t get along with their parents because of their sexuality or identity, and who need a place where they can be themselves and feel seen and heard. We may be losing it.”
Ivey, who started a publication called Our Era at age 15 and popularized its content on TikTok, said she is also concerned about how the bill would affect content creators like herself. Ta. (If a legal guardian does not approve of the teen’s online activity or digital presence, the individual may have to put the account on hold until she turns 18.)
“New laws like these can discourage social media use from fear of authority, parents, or fear of losing privacy at a time when teens are trying to figure out who they are. They may be intimidated or deterred by the necessary legal challenges,”’ Ivey said.
Facebook parent Meta told CNN it has the same goals as parents and policymakers, but the company also wants to help young people have a safe and positive experience online and continue to access its platform. He also said that he would like to do so. Antigone Davis, Meta’s global head of safety, said the company “continues to work closely with experts, policymakers and parents on these important issues.”
Representatives for TikTok and Snap did not respond to requests for comment.
Given the unprecedented nature of the bill, it’s unclear how exactly social media companies will adapt. For example, the law requires platforms to turn off their “suggested content” algorithms. While this particular guideline may help prevent teens from falling down the rabbit hole of potentially harmful content, it may also create new problems. This could mean the company will no longer have the power to monitor or control down-ranking problematic content that may appear in users’ feeds.
Some of the bill’s guidelines will be difficult to enforce. Inouye said minors could “steal” personal information from family members and others who don’t use social media and create accounts that they can access and use without being monitored. Using a VPN can also complicate matching her IP address to the user’s state, he said.
But even if Utah and other states’ legislative efforts prove flawed, Inouye says, “these early efforts are at least drawing attention to these issues.”