Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) on Thursday signed two bills that will make his state the first in the country to restrict minors’ access to social media. The new measures mean that kids under the age of 18 will need their parents’ permission to open an account and will force social media companies to block minors’ access to their platforms between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. unless parents change settings. Parents must also be given full access to their children’s accounts, including having the ability to see their private messages. Social media companies will also be banned from using features that might cause minors to become addicted to their sites. “We’re no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth,” Cox said in a statement announcing the new rules.
We’re no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth. Today we signed two key bills in our fight against social media companies into law:
