Utah has now become the first state to require social media companies to obtain parental consent for minors to be able to open an account.

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Law Requiring Social Media Parental Consent For Minors To Use Services

On Thursday (03/23/23) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed two new pieces of social media regulation into law.

The new social media regulation laws require social media companies such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and more to obtain parental consent for minors to be able to use the services provided by these platforms.

The new social media regulation also prevents "social media companies from displaying ads to minors, showing minor accounts in search results, collecting information about minors, targeting or suggesting content to minors, or knowingly integrating addictive technologies into social media apps used by minors" according to NBCNews.com.

In addition, Utah's new social media regulations implement a social media curfew for minors, essentially locking them out of their accounts from 10:30 pm until 6:30 am depending on location.

Parents will reportedly be able to adjust or get rid of the social media curfew if they want to.

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The idea behind Utah's new social media regulations stems from concerns about the impact of social media on minors' mental health.

Social media companies have until March 1, 2024, to comply with Utah's regulations. Failure to do so will result in civil and criminal penalties.

From NBCNews.com -

"The new Utah laws — H.B. 311 and S.B. 152 — require that social media companies verify the age of any Utah resident who makes a social media profile and get parental consent for any minor who wishes to make a profile. They also force social media companies to allow parents to access posts and messages from their child’s account."

Apparently, four other states are currently considering adopting social media regulations as well.

Could Louisiana be next?

Read more at NBCNews.com.

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