In the state of Texas, a bill is preparing for a final vote that would completely ban the use of social media for people under the age of 18. If it is approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, Texas will become the state with the strictest restrictions in the United States.
In the state of Texas, a bill is preparing for a final vote that would completely ban the use of social media for people under the age of 18. If it is approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, Texas will become the state with the strictest restrictions in the United States.
A bill that would ban social media for all teens under 18 has already passed the committee stage in the Texas Senate and will soon be put to a vote. As Engadget reports, lawmakers have until June 2, before the end of the session.
The bill was previously supported by the state House of Representatives. If passed, platforms would be required to verify the age of new users, similar to the existing law on access to adult sites. In addition, the law would allow parents to request the complete deletion of their children’s accounts, and social networks would have 10 days to comply with the request. Failure to do so would result in a fine.
This makes the Texas approach even stricter than a recent law in Florida, where individuals under the age of 14 are completely prohibited from using social media, and teens aged 14–15 must obtain parental consent.
There is also a national struggle: in April 2024, a bill was introduced in the US Senate that would ban social media for children under 13. Although the document has stalled in committee, Senators Brian Schatz and Ted Cruz have hinted at a willingness to reintroduce the initiative.
Many countries are currently reviewing their attitude towards the use of social networks by minors. It has become known that Norway will further strengthen the existing ban on the use of social networks by children: if previously this was not possible under the age of 13, then it is planned to introduce a ban on social networks under the age of 15.
