Protecting Kids on Social Media Act

Hozzl · 2024-03-13T00:41:25Z

Explore the details of Senate Bill 1291 Protecting Kids on Social Media Act currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on Commerce. Stay informed on legislative developments.

3/13/2024, 12:41 AM

Summary of Bill S 1291

Bill 118 s 1291, also known as the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress with the aim of safeguarding children from harmful content and online predators on social media platforms. The bill specifically targets social media companies and requires them to implement measures to protect minors using their platforms.

Some key provisions of the bill include:

1. Requiring social media companies to verify the age of users and implement age-appropriate privacy settings for minors. 2. Prohibiting the use of targeted advertising to children under the age of 13. 3. Mandating the removal of harmful and inappropriate content targeted at minors, such as cyberbullying and explicit material. 4. Requiring social media companies to report any instances of child exploitation or abuse to law enforcement. The bill also includes provisions for penalties for non-compliance, such as fines and potential legal action against social media companies that fail to adhere to the regulations outlined in the legislation. Overall, the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act aims to create a safer online environment for children and hold social media companies accountable for protecting minors from harmful content and predatory behavior on their platforms.

Congressional Summary of S 1291

Protecting Kids on Social Media Act

This bill requires social media platforms to verify the age of account holders and limits access to such platforms by children.

Specifically, social media platforms (1) must verify the age of account holders, (2) may not allow an individual to create or continue to use an account unless the individual's age has been verified, and (3) must limit access to the platform for children under the age of 13. Social media platforms may not use or retain any information collected during the age verification process for any other purpose.

Further, platforms must take reasonable steps to (1) require affirmative consent from the parent or guardian of a minor who is at least 13 years old to create an account for the minor on the platform, and (2) provide the parent or guardian with the ability to revoke such consent.

Social media platforms may not use the personal data of an individual in an algorithmic recommendation system unless the individual is at least 18 years old according to the platform's age verification process.

The bill requires the Department of Commerce to establish a voluntary pilot program to provide secure digital identification credentials for individuals to use when verifying their age on social media platforms. Commerce may issue rules for social media companies to enroll in the program.

The bill provides for enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general (or other authorized state officials).

Read the Full Bill

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Current Status of Bill S 1291

Bill S 1291 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since April 26, 2023. Bill S 1291 was introduced during Congress 118 and was introduced to the Senate on April 26, 2023. Bill S 1291's most recent activity was Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. as of April 26, 2023

Bipartisan Support of Bill S 1291

Total Number of Sponsors

Democrat Sponsors

Republican Sponsors

Unaffiliated Sponsors

Total Number of Cosponsors

Democrat Cosponsors

Republican Cosponsors

Unaffiliated Cosponsors

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill S 1291

Primary Policy Focus

Commerce

Alternate Title(s) of Bill S 1291

Protecting Kids on Social Media Act

A bill to require that social media platforms verify the age of their users, prohibit the use of algorithmic recommendation systems on individuals under age 18, require parental or guardian consent for social media users under age 18, and prohibit users who are under age 13 from accessing social media platforms.