Committee reports substitute for SB 854 requiring age checks, limits for minors on social platforms

The Communications, Technology and Innovation Committee on Feb. 17 reported a substitute for Senate Bill 854 that removes language banning so-called "addictive feeds" and instead requires controllers or processors of social media platforms to use "commercially reasonable methods" to determine whether a user is a minor and to limit a minor's use of the platform. The committee voted 19-0 to report the substitute as amended.

Senator Van Valkenburg, sponsor of SB 854, described the evolution of the measure from an outright ban on addictive feeds for minors to the substitute now before the committee. "This bill started off as an addictive feeds bill, banning addictive fees for minors, which is a bill I brought last year," Van Valkenburg said. He said the substitute is "not everything I want, but I think it's a good — I think it hits a good sweet spot." The substitute sets a one-hour daily cap for users under age 16, with parents able to increase or decrease that allotment, and states that age-verification information must be kept private and used only for age determination and age-appropriate…