Texas Will Ban Children Under 18 Years Of Playing Social Media

Illustration of children using social media (Pexels)

JAKARTA - The ban on the use of social media for children and adolescents is increasingly becoming a serious concern in various regions of the United States. Concerns about the negative impact of digital platforms on psychological and social development of children have made a number of states begin to design stricter restriction policies.

One of the states that is now taking serious steps is Texas. The Texas government is reviewing a bill that aims to limit social media access to individuals under the age of 18.

Based on a report from Engadget, the bill has successfully passed the Senate committee stage and will soon be submitted in a voting session by the Texas State Senate.

The bill has a deadline for ratification until June 2, 2025, which coincides with the end of the legislative session in the state.

If approved by the Senate and state governors, the new law will require all social media platforms to verify the age of potential users before the account is created. This provision is similar to previous regulations in Texas that require adult sites to implement an age verification system.

In addition, this bill gives parents the authority to request the abolition of their child's social media accounts. Digital platform companies are given a 10-day deadline to process the request. If it fails to follow up, the company may be subject to sanctions by the State Attorney General.

Texas is not the only region that has tightened the use of social media for youth groups. Other states such as Florida have already imposed similar rules. Last year, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a policy banning children under the age of 14 from using social media, and required parental consent for users aged 14 to 15.

However, the policies proposed in Texas are considered stricter than the rules in Florida.

Meanwhile, at the national level, the United States Senate has also introduced a similar bill in April 2024. This regulation proposes a ban on social media access to children under 13 years of age. Although still in the committee discussion stage, senators Brian Schatz and Ted Cruz affirmed their commitment to encourage this law to be passed immediately.