New Senate Proposal in Georgia Would Require Parental Consent for Children to Use Social Media

Children lying on the sofa and using gadgetsPhoto byJessica Lewis/pexel

At a Monday press conference, leading members of the Georgia State Senate Sen. Jason Anavitarte of Dallas and Lt. Governor Burt Jones revealed their plans. In 2024, they intend to submit legislation that will impose similar limitations on other online services and mandate parental permission for children to use social media networks.

This action follows Louisiana's lead, which passed a law earlier this year that will go into effect in 2024 and require social media platforms to verify the age of account users and forbid individuals under the age of 18 from signing up without parental consent.

Students sitting inside the classroom while using their smartphones.Photo byRDNE Stock project/pexels

Notably, similar rules requiring parental approval before children can access social media have been passed this year in Arkansas, Texas, and Utah. On a larger scale, conversations in Congress about enacting regulations for parental consent for children are also ongoing. California introduced regulations requiring online services to improve the privacy and safety of children last year.

Senator Anavitarte disclosed his brief interaction with Meta Platforms, the organization in charge of Facebook and Instagram. He and Senator Jones both stated their determination to contact the social media platform to talk about their suggested plans.

The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's cautionary comment in May, highlighting that social media has not yet been proven to be a safe place for young people, served as the catalyst for these regulatory measures. Murthy urged tech corporations, parents, and other adults to act right away to protect children's internet safety. He called on digital companies to disclose data openly and suggested that social media be subject to safety laws similar to those that apply to baby formula and car seats.

Although it is currently against the law for social media firms to register users under the age of 13, it has been noted that children can simply get around this restriction. Over a third of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 who use social media report doing so almost constantly, according to Pew Research Center.

Additionally, Senator Anavitarte voiced his desire to strengthen Georgia's cyberbullying legislation. He wants to strengthen a 2022 proposal that would require schools to warn kids and parents about bullying by emphasizing that some behaviors could result in stalking charges.

In a statement, Meta Platforms stated that it was working with an age verification firm to implement procedures including uploading IDs and video selfies in order to confirm users' ages. Additionally, the business claims to tailor age-appropriate Instagram experiences for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17, including barriers against unsolicited adult communication.

A bill presented by Senator Anavitarte recently forbids the installation and usage of programs like TikTok, Telegram, and WeChat on state-owned computers.

Critics argue that these measures might inadvertently lead platforms to demand government-issued IDs to verify age, similar to certain regulations implemented on pornography sites in states such as Louisiana, Utah, and Virginia. Lawsuits have arisen challenging the constitutionality of these regulations, with the Free Speech Coalition contending that they discriminate against certain forms of speech. A recent Utah ruling dismissed such a lawsuit on the grounds of the law's design.

Follow us for more updates on this story and other news.