Utah
Utah lawmakers work to protect kids from social media
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah legislator discusses legislation he helped craft to rein in harmful features influencing kids plugged into social media.
Earlier this week, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to protect kids by placing a warning label on social media platforms as commonly seen on tobacco and alcohol items.
On Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill shifting back to parents some online authority to control children’s social media accounts:
Utah lawmakers take on social media heavyweights
Dave & Dujanovic spoke with State Sen. Mike McKell, R- Spanish Fork, about legislation aiming to regulate social media in Utah.
Reining in social media in Utah
McKell and his partner in the House, Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, sponsored HB464, which creates a civil right to action for kids under 18 years who allege harm from social media.
They also sponsored SB194, which requires social media companies to verify the age of all account holders.
McKell said the bills go into effect beginning in October.
According to McKell, they wanted social media companies to disable the data-collection feature on kids’ accounts.
“We want parental consent for data collection… In a perfect world, we don’t want any data collection of our kids at all. But what we said in the legislation in Utah is if you’re going to collect data on children in the state of Utah that Mom and Dad have to give that parental consent. I don’t think parents will give parental consent,” McKell said, referencing the article below:
Instagram regularly recommends sexual videos to accounts for teenagers who appear interested in racy content and do so within minutes of when they first log in, according to tests by The Wall Street Journal and an academic researcher.”
Unmasking the dangers of social media
“I don’t know why any parent would want their child on [social media]. And unfortunately, I think parents are missing it. I don’t think they realize how serious it actually is online,” McKell said.
To that end, he added that state government leaders have assembled a website for parents meant to “unmask the dangers of social media.”
The site provides parents with information and resources.
McKell also wants to disable addictive features on social media platforms, such as the endless scroll and push notifications.
“We don’t want kids listed in the index so people can find them,” said McKell.
LISTEN: Utah social media law more complicated than it seems
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Summit County Health Director Phil Bondurant said the early 2026 survey found men are suffering with significant mental and behavioral health challenges between the ages of 10 and 44. In the U.S., Bondurant said, suicide is the second leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury.
“It’s the eighth leading cause of death nationally across all ages of men,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 8. “When we look at this in Utah, we are two times the national average in suicides, and when you look at men, three of the four suicides in the state of Utah are men.”
He said that’s disproportionate to women. Roughly 31 out of 100,000 suicide deaths in Utah are men while less than 9 deaths per 100,000 are women.
FULL INTERIVEW: Summit County Health Department Phil Bondurant
Bondurant said those statistics are related to men feeling isolated, experiencing depression and uncertainty about the future. But, he said the health department has worked to develop programs to break the stigma around men’s mental health and help people access care.
“It’s important that we remember that connection, conversation, help and support, just like our physical health, when we’re not feeling well or we break a bone, we go to the doctor, and they do what they do to help us get better and help our bodies mend,” he said. “Our mental health is the same way, we need to take care of it.”
He said uninsured residents that need help can call the health department and speak with the behavioral health team.
There is also a 24-hour 988 crisis hotline for people who need help or know someone who needs help. Utahns can also download the SafeUT app to speak with licensed counselors, submit safety tips and confidential help.
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