Utah Senate advances package of bills, including social media rules for minors and updates to criminal thresholds

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate on the floor advanced a slate of bills Tuesday, moving several measures to third reading and recording final roll-call tallies on a range of items including social media regulation focused on minors, school‑readiness funding changes, and updates to monetary thresholds in the criminal code.

Senator McHale, sponsor of first substitute Senate Bill 194, framed the measure as a consumer-protection bill targeted at minors rather than a regulation of the First Amendment. "Social media is a product. Social media companies are massive data‑mining companies," McHale said, arguing the bill addresses data privacy, excessive use and design features that encourage addictive behaviors. The bill, as presented on the floor, would add age‑assurance tools, limit endless scrolling and push notifications for minors, and require parental consent where adult authorization is used to permit data use.

The sponsor said the bill removes a private right of action and places enforcement with the Division of Consumer Protection. When asked about enforcement and how the law would apply to emancipated minors or guardians who do not speak English, McHale said age assurance verifies minor accounts and that certain tools would differ for minors; enforcement would be handled by the Division of Consumer Protection rather than private lawsuits.

"The enforcement would be the Division of Consumer Protection,"…