House approves bill requiring parental consent for social media

The CT House of Representatives Wednesday approved a bill aimed at giving families more control over how their children use social media.  

The bill, which garnered a 121-26 vote, would require consent from a parent or guardian before anyone under the age of 18 can open a social media account.  

It would also limit how platforms can target minors with content for most of the day.  

“Just trying to protect young people, just trying to put protections in place to make sure young people aren’t impacted in the way that we’re seeing right now,” Rep. Jason Rojas (D-Majority Leader) said prior to the vote.  

Social media companies would not be able to use their algorithms to target minors with curated content or notifications between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.  

The proposal drew push back from tech lobbyists, who said those algorithms help ensure users see the content they want to see.  

“One of the main benefits of a social media platform is its curation of vast amounts of user-generated content to highlight what a particular user will be most interested in viewing,” Christopher Gilrein, executive director with Northeast TechNet, said.  

He also said social media platforms would have a hard time verifying a user's age.  

Republicans were split on the bill, with many supporting the measure. Others, though, questioned whether Connecticut could regulate social media on its own.  

The bill, if approved by the Senate and signed into law, would allow the Attorney General to impose fines of up to $25,000 to companies under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act.  

Rep. Vincent Candelora, (R-Minority Leader), said social media companies have already started putting tools in place to help protect children.  

“I think that we’ve certainly got the attention of companies like Google and TikTok and they’re already trying to do the right thing, without this legislation,” he said.  

Dr. Robert Keden, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, said children do face harms.  

They can see videos or images that make them insecure about their appearance of their accomplishments.  

“Kids are seeing how big the world is and then they’re comparing themselves to that, that can create a lot of anxiety,” he said.  

CCMC has a guide for parents and guardians on digital wellness for their children, including six tips for social media usage.  

This includes supervising smart devices and other internet-connected devices children use.  

Families should also set clear rules for social media and other internet use, including the types of content children can access, the amount of time they can use devices and the time of day it’s allowed.  

Families should pay extra attention when minors are using cellphones, tablets or other portable devices.  

Keder said parents and guardians can also set the tone with their own usage, such as making it a point to put down cellphones during dinner or other times.  

They can also talk about their usage, such as acknowledging their usage is to respond to a necessary message or email and not to scroll social media.  

“That begins with role modeling how we use internet supports and sites and home, it begins with how we pick up our phones and check social media and when we pick up our phones and check social media,” Keder said.  

They should also talk with children about the risks of social media and other internet uses. This includes making sure minors are not sharing identifiable or personal information online.  

Lastly, families should make sure they’re researching other safety resources.