Tennessee advances bill regulating social media use by minors

The Tennessee General Assembly on Wednesday sent a bill to Gov. Bill Lee that would require parental consent before a minor could open a social media account. The law would also require social media platforms to verify users’ ages and close down the pre-existing accounts of any minors whose parents don’t provide their express consent for their ongoing use. Social media companies must also provide parents who do consent with a method of monitoring their child’s social media usage.

How does the state plan to enforce this law? The law threatens social media companies with legal consequences if they allow minors to open accounts on their apps without a parent’s consent or if a parent cannot access their child’s pre-existing account. The governor has yet to sign the bill into law, but the text says it will go into effect immediately upon becoming a law.

Dig deeper: Read Todd Vician’s report in WORLD Magazine about how social media companies have profited off ads aimed at children.