The Texas House on Tuesday gave initial approval to a bill that would require digital service providers such as social media platforms to get consent from a parent or guardian before entering into an agreement with minors younger than 18, including to create an account.
, from Rep. , R-Stephenville, said under the bill that social media companies will need to get consent from the parent of a minor through a form, toll-free telephone line, coordinated video conference call, collecting info from government-issued identification 鈥� with the expectation the info will be deleted 鈥� or email.
Members of the lower chamber on Tuesday gave the bill 鈥� a priority of Speaker 鈥� initial approval with a voice vote following roughly 45 minutes of questions from lawmakers about how the bill would work and two failed amendments from Rep. , R-Arlington.
HB 18 would also let parents request access to any data on social media associated with the minor; companies would be required to establish 鈥渁 simple and easily accessible method鈥� for these requests.
An amendment that was adopted protects trade secrets from disclosure, Slawson said.
Under the bill, providers that allow advertisers to advertise to known minors will also be required to disclose in a clear and accessible manner certain info at the time the ad is displayed, such as how any data associated with the minor鈥檚 use of the service leads to each ad.
State agencies, political subdivisions, small businesses and higher education institutions are among the entities excluded from following the bill鈥檚 protocols.
Slawson has said the bill, called the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment, or SCOPE, Act aims to give parents more control of how minors鈥� private info is collected and used by digital service providers.
鈥淥ur children are experiencing all manner of harms via overexposure to digital platforms and predatory algorithms, manifesting in increased rates of self-harm, suicide, substance abuse, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and other mental health issues,鈥� Slawson after the bill was voted out of a House committee two weeks ago. 鈥淭exas parents have had enough.鈥�
Young adults between the ages of 10 and 24 account for 15% of all suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the rate is lower than that of other age groups, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for youth. The rate of suicide for this age group has between 2000 and 2021.
Opponents of the measure, including Meta 鈥� formerly Facebook Inc.鈥� whose representative testified against the bill at a committee hearing, say while well-intentioned, the bill may nonetheless bring unintended consequences that could undermine already-established safeguards. The company said it has established more than 30 tools for teens and families, including around age verification and limiting time spent on Instagram.
Others have raised concerns about the bill offering a temporary solution to bigger problems of youth mental health that will eventually need addressing.
鈥淲e automatically set teens鈥� accounts to private when they join Instagram, and we send notifications encouraging them to take regular breaks,鈥� Meta said in a statement. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 allow content that promotes suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, and of the content we remove or take action on, we identify over 99% of it before it鈥檚 reported to us. We鈥檒l continue to work closely with experts, policymakers, and parents on these important issues.鈥�
Last month, Utah that restricts youth use of social media without parental consent.
