Utah lawmakers reveal new bills to protect teens from social media companies

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers introduced a number of payments for the upcoming legislative session to guard kids from social media’s dangerous results on Tuesday.

Throughout a panel dialogue right now for Governor Spencer Cox’s Social Media & Youth Psychological Well being Symposium, lawmakers Sen. Kirk Cullimore, Mike Mckell, and Rep. Jordan Teuscher revealed {that a} bundle of payments will likely be introduced within the 2023 Legislative Session.

The payments are supposed to stop social media corporations from amassing and promoting information from Utah kids, maintain social media corporations accountable for dangerous algorithms, and provides mother and father extra management over the social media their kids use.

“I feel if we work collectively, we are able to empower mother and father, and greater than something, we wish mother and father to have instruments when coping with social media of their properties,” McKell defined.

Gov. Spencer Cox addresses psychological well being issues attributable to social media in the direction of youngsters

Within the days forward, McKell plans to launch his invoice that seeks to ban social media corporations from amassing and promoting information from kids, places strict age verification guidelines in place for utilizing social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, and gives extra parental controls over the app together with, a characteristic that will enable mother and father to show off the app for a time frame.

“We’d require the social media firm to do this verification, and if it’s not performed appropriately, the state of Utah might deliver an motion,” McKell mentioned. “We’re additionally contemplating a non-public writ of motion the place those that have been harmed, if it’s you as a guardian, if it’s a college that’s been harmed, and for those who’re inside that line of hurt, you might deliver a authorized declare,” mentioned McKell.

A second invoice mentioned on the Governor’s symposium will deal with dangerous algorithms social media corporations implement to focus on customers. There might also be a 3rd invoice created throughout this upcoming session geared toward eradicating cell telephones from the classroom.

“We wish mother and father to be concerned, we perceive and acknowledge that’s crucial position we’ve got as mother and father to be concerned with our youngsters, and we need to ensure that these instruments are in place,” McKell mentioned.

KSL TV will proceed to watch any potential laws concerning social media and supply updates because the payments change into accessible.