(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota lawmakers passed a bill aimed at limiting kids’ social media use and blocking some features described as addictive.
Under the law, children 15 and under would need parental consent to use social media under the bill passed during the Minnesota legislative session. The law also would bar large social media platforms from targeting children with some addictive features.
“I think this is a good place to start and as we are making policy to protect children, eliminating some of those most addictive features, things like, you know, targeted ads won’t be allowed. Things like the unlimited scrolling things like the automatic playing of videos,” said Sen. Liz Boldon.
The law would apply to every social media account on large platforms. Sen. Liz Boldon believes Minnesota is first in the nation to ban nudification technology, which is software that can generate explicit photos.
“Because the United States of America has not been able to pass a unified and updated bill and law around keeping kids safer online, that actually puts the onus to protect on the tech platforms that know what they’re doing and could make meaningful changes and don’t. This is what we have to do at a state by state basis,” said Titania Jordan, the CFO of Bark Technologies.
Tech experts say parents are currently the main safety net between children and overaccess online. The law takes effect in July 2027, though a new push in the U.S. House could override state law through the Kids Act.
ABC 6 News is following those developments and any potential legal challenges to the law.
