Utah Implements Strict Social Media Regulations to Protect Children.
Utah has signed two bills regulating minors’ use of social media, which will take effect on March 1, 2024. The laws require social media platforms to verify all users’ ages, with those under 18 having special rules for their online activity, including curfews, more privacy from advertisers but less from their parents or guardians, and the ability to sue platforms over certain harms, including addiction. The laws are the first in the country to place such restrictions on kids’ usage of social media, and other states and the federal government are increasingly considering legal restrictions in the name of protecting minors. However, opponents of such laws say they will have unintended consequences for the free speech and privacy of people of all ages.