Georgia could join other states in requiring children younger than 16 to have their parents’ explicit permission to create social media accounts. Lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to Senate Bill 351, which also would ban social media use on school devices and internet services, require porn sites to verify users are 18 or over and mandate additional education by schools on social media and internet use. The House passed the measure 120-45 and the Senate approved it 48-7.
number of other states including Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Utah passed laws last year requiring parental consent for children to use social media. In Arkansas, a federal judge in August blocked enforcement of a law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts. Some in Congress also are proposing parental consent for minors. State Rep.
Murthy called on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take 'immediate action to protect kids now' and asked tech companies to share data and increase transparency and for policymakers to regulate social media for safety the way they do car seats and baby formula. Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instragram, announced in 2022 it was taking steps to verify ages.