Kids Off Social Media Act
2/13/2025, 3:40 PMSummary of Bill S 278
Bill 119 s 278 aims to address concerns about the impact of social media on young people by implementing several restrictions. The bill prohibits individuals under the age of 13 from accessing social media platforms, citing concerns about the potential negative effects on their development and well-being. Additionally, the bill also prohibits the use of personalized recommendation systems on individuals under the age of 17, in an effort to limit the influence of algorithms on young users.Furthermore, the bill seeks to limit the use of social media in schools, recognizing the potential distractions and negative impacts on students' academic performance. By implementing these restrictions, the bill aims to protect young people from the potential harms of excessive social media use and ensure that they are able to engage with these platforms in a safe and responsible manner.
Overall, Bill 119 s 278 represents a proactive approach to addressing the challenges posed by social media, particularly for young users. By setting age restrictions and limiting the use of personalized recommendation systems, the bill aims to promote a healthier and more responsible use of social media among young people.
Congressional Summary of S 278
Kids Off Social Media Act
This bill limits children’s access to social media platforms and requires both platforms and schools to implement certain restrictions on children’s social media usage.
Specifically, the bill prohibits social media platforms from knowingly allowing children under the age of 13 to create or maintain accounts. Platforms must delete existing accounts held by children and any personal data collected from child users. Platforms are also generally prohibited from using automated systems to suggest or promote content based on personal data collected from users under the age of 17. The bill directs the Federal Trade Commission to enforce these provisions. States may also bring civil actions against platforms whose violations of these provisions have adversely affected their residents.
Further, as a condition of receiving discounted telecommunications service under the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support (E-Rate) program, schools must enforce policies preventing the use of E-Rate-supported services, networks, and devices to access social media, and must use blocking or filtering technology to prevent such access. Schools that do not make a good faith effort to comply and correct known violations are required to reimburse any E-Rate support they received for the applicable period. Schools must also submit copies of their internet safety policies to the Federal Communications Commission for publication.
Under the bill, social media platforms are defined as public-facing sites that function primarily as forums for user-generated content. Some categories of online platforms are explicitly excluded, including sites that provide primarily videoconferencing, emailing, or educational services.
