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Committee passes social-media youth-protection bill requiring parental consent and limiting features for minors
Summary
Co-chair Scott’s HF4138 would require large social-media platforms to age-estimate users, obtain verifiable parental consent for minors and disable addictive features and targeted advertising for underage accounts; the committee adopted a technical A5 amendment and passed the bill as amended by voice vote.
Co-chair Scott introduced House File 4138, a bill that would require covered social-media platforms (those with over $1 billion in annual advertising revenue worldwide) to estimate user age and obtain parental consent for users identified as minors. If parental consent is not granted, the bill would require platforms to apply a reduced feature set for the account: removal of addictive interface features (infinite scroll, autoplay, public metrics), a ban on targeted commercial advertising directed at the minor, and retention of documentation sufficient to show verifiable parental consent.
The committee adopted an A5 amendment that included technical corrections and clarified data-retention language to establish what documentation platforms must keep. Members asked whether the private right of action covered parents and minors; the sponsor confirmed the private right is available to parents and minors and said existing COPPA mechanisms inform how verifiable consent can be documented.
Co-chair Scott framed the bill as a consumer-protection measure for youth, citing national and state surveys about teen social-media usage and harms. "As parents and as lawmakers, we should not be okay with that," the sponsor said, urging member support.
The committee passed the amended bill by voice vote and recommended it for placement on the general register.
Next steps: HF4138 will be placed on the general register; sponsors said enforcement would include an attorney-general enforcement option and a private right of action.
