Even after Utah’s social media law was passed, there were still questions about the exact guidelines that businesses had to follow. A list of rules for social media companies to follow has been approved.
The first law passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Spencer Cox earlier this year requires social media companies to verify the age of all users. If you are a minor, we require parental consent before opening an account. It would also place limits on the amount of time minors can use their services and force social media companies to give parents access to their children’s social media accounts.
The Utah Department of Consumer Protection drafted rules for social media companies and, with approval from the Utah Office of Administrative Regulation, published the rules on Sunday, October 15th. If enacted, the same will apply to the Consumer Protection Bureau. It is tasked with enforcing the law and investigating violations.
“This rule outlines expectations for social media companies, including how they verify age, collect parental consent, and handle user data,” said Melanie Hall, communications director for the Utah Department of Commerce. “There is,” he said.
According to the new guidelines, social media companies are responsible for verifying the age and parental consent of minor users, not the state. “Low-cost technology already exists that allows these companies to verify users’ ages while protecting their privacy,” Margaret Woolley Busse, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce, said in a statement.
Since the technology is already available, Hall said, the burden is on social media companies to choose one of the age verification services and use it “consistently and effectively.”
Now that the rules have been published, Hall said social media companies have until March 1, 2024 to comply. If businesses don’t follow the rules, the department could issue fines of up to $2,500 for each violation.
“In Utah, if there are multiple minors on the platform, it indicates they are not doing this. [verified the age and obtained confirmed parental consent] You can imagine what the fees would be,” she said.
State law requires the department to host public hearings and public comment on the rule. The hearing will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on November 1, 2023, in Room 220, Senate Building, Utah State Capitol. Public comments will be accepted until February 5, 2024.
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