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Healey unveils plan to require default limits and privacy protections for social‑media users under 18
Summary
Governor Healey announced a plan to require social‑media companies to set default protections for users under 18 — including a two‑hour daily limit, deactivation of infinite scroll and autoplay, stronger privacy settings and parental‑consent rules — and said the state expects no direct fiscal cost; educators, students and child‑safety advocates voiced support.
Governor Healey announced a package of regulations aimed at limiting harms that social media can pose to children and teenagers, saying the state will require platforms to start under‑18 accounts with safety‑first defaults.
The proposal would set default daily limits of two hours for users under 18, deactivate features the governor called “addictive” — such as infinite scrolling and autoplay — end algorithmic targeting of young people, turn off location sharing for youth accounts, ban notifications during school hours and overnight, and require parental consent to change the defaults for users 15 and younger. "We're taking steps here in Massachusetts to protect our young people," Healey said, arguing that platforms have designed products to be addictive and that families need support to protect children online.
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