San Francisco, 15 June 2018 — The US state of Texas has restricted access to its social media sites for minors under the age of 18.
To prevent underage users from signing up for services like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok without parental approval, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed House Bill 18.
The text of the bill reads as follows: “A digital service provider may collect the personal identifying information of a minor if the minor’s parent or guardian consents in a manner that is specific, informed, and unambiguous and takes into account the minor’s age and the minor’s developmental and cognitive needs and capabilities.”
The new law also mandates that social media sites implement new screening methods to protect youngsters from exposure to “harmful” information.
Last Monday, Louisiana became the latest state to enact legislation requiring parental permission.
Similar legislation has been discussed in the states of Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Ohio.
The first federal legislation restricting minors’ access to social media was passed in Utah.
In March, Republican Governor Spencer Cox approved legislation requiring parental permission for minors to join social networking networks.
Parental access to minors’ online accounts is another requirement of the new Utah laws.
