Georgia has taken a significant step towards regulating children's social media use by passing Senate Bill 351. The bill, which received overwhelming support in both the House and Senate, aims to protect minors by requiring parental consent for those under 16 to create social media accounts.
In addition to the parental consent requirement, the bill also prohibits social media use on school devices and internet services. It mandates that porn sites verify users are 18 or older and calls for increased education by schools on social media and internet use.
State Representative Scott Hilton emphasized the potential harm caused by unrestricted social media use among children, citing concerns about its impact on mental health. However, opponents of the bill, such as Representative David Wilkerson, raised issues about potential unintended consequences, including restrictions on educational content in schools.
The bill sets a deadline of July 1, 2025, for social media services to make 'commercially reasonable efforts' to verify users' ages. It also places limitations on how social media companies can target ads to children under 16 and the amount of information they can collect on minors.
Furthermore, the legislation aims to combat access to pornographic sites by requiring age verification through government-issued identification. Companies failing to comply could face fines of up to $10,000.
The move by Georgia follows a trend seen in other states, with some, like Florida, implementing even stricter regulations on children's social media use. The debate around regulating social media for minors continues at both the state and federal levels, with a focus on protecting children's well-being in the digital age.
