Tennessee latest state to try to require social media companies to get parental consent for minors

Tennessee on Friday became the most recent state to sign into law restrictions on minors using social media – requiring parental consent before their children can create accounts for platforms like TikTok or Instagram. 

The legislation passed in the state legislature and signed into law by GOP Gov. Bill Lee also requires age verification, social media companies to allow parents access to monitor accounts with privacy settings, daily time restrictions and breaks in which minors cannot use the social media.

"Parents know best, and we must empower them with tools to protect their kids online," Lee said in a statement.

The bill also allows the Tennessee attorney general to bring action against a company for a violation. The bill goes into effect in January 2025. 

Nearly 95% of teens 13 to 17 report using social media, with more than one-third saying they use platforms "almost constantly," according to a U.S. Surgeon General advisory released last year.

The advisory also calls the matter an "urgent public health issue" and says its stated purpose is to call attention to "the growing concerns about the effects of social media on youth mental health."

Other states that have made similar efforts to limit social media use among minors includinfg Florida, Arkansas, Ohio and Utah. 

In late March, Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that will give parents of teens under 16 more control over their children's access to social media and require age verification for many websites, according to theverge.com.

The bill requires social media platforms to prevent users under 14 from creating accounts and requires parent or guardian consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to create or maintain social media accounts. 

The law also mandates that platforms delete social media accounts and states those that fail to promptly delete accounts belonging to 14- and 15-year-olds can be sued.

Ohio's law require users younger than 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps was set to go into effect in January. But a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction that prevents it from taking effect while a lawsuit by NetChoice – a trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies – winds its way through court. 

NetChoice has blocked a similar effort in Arkansas, suing the state for what is considers a violation of the First Amendment. 

Utah passed similar laws in 2023 and bolster it last month with two amendments regarding age verification and lawsuits by parents. The law is set to go into effect in October.

The law was also being challenged by NetChoice and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. However, the disposition of the suits were unclear Friday, according to the Desert News.