Texas bans kids from social media without parental consent
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill Tuesday banning kids under 18 from joining a wide variety of social media sites without parental consent.
The bill, HB 18, requires social media companies to receive explicit consent from a minor’s parent or guardian before they’d be allowed to create their own accounts starting in September of next year. It also forces these companies to prevent children from seeing “harmful” content — like content related to eating disorders, substance abuse, or “grooming” — by creating new filtering systems.
“We’re disappointed to see Gov. Abbott sign into law a bill that erodes parental rights while violating the First Amendment and digital freedoms for every Texan,” Carl Szabo, NetChoice vice president and…
