New Utah Law Requires Parental Consent for Child Social Media Use

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Facts

  • Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law on Thursday requiring anyone under 18 to have parental consent for the use of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as prohibiting these companies from employing techniques to cause minors to develop an "addiction" to the platforms.1
  • Cox said via Twitter that it was his responsibility to protect Utah's children from these "toxic" platforms, adding: "Youth rates of depression and other mental health issues are on the rise because of social media companies."2
  • The new legislation also requires apps to block minors' access to social media between 10:30pm and 6:30am — though these restrictions will be adjustable by parents — as well as prohibit children from receiving direct messages from people who the child hasn't followed and block underage accounts from search results.3
  • Companies have until March 1, 2024 to implement the measures of House Bill 311 and Senate Bill 152 or face potential punishments in civil or criminal court.2
  • Lawmakers in Connecticut and Ohio are working on similar bills that would require children 16 and under to obtain parental permission to sign up for the apps. US Pres. Joe Biden has also asked Congress to strengthen digital privacy, data, and targeted advertising protections.4
  • The signing of the bill came on the same day that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified before Congress on the issues of privacy, and digital addiction and security. While some lawmakers, particularly Republicans, believe the app is tied to the Chinese government, others believe the current pursuit of TikTok is xenophobic.5

Sources: 1Guardian, 2Daily Mail, 3Washington Post, 4Forbes, and 5FOX News.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Fudzilla. This is simply the next step in the far-right's attempt to rescind American civil liberties. Despite rights groups pointing out this fact, GOP lawmakers, and the parents who vote them in, want full control over America's youth so they can spy on and prevent them from accessing the digital world. This could backfire in the long run, as these children will likely remember what their parents voted for.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. Democrats care more about having "swag" on TikTok than they do about protecting children from the undeniable harm caused by social media. The risks posed to our kids have been known about for a long time, but the left wants young people to remain glued to their screens so that they are raised by the internet rather than their parents. This is about the rights of American children as well as their parents.

Predictions