Michigan bill aims for parental consent and control over minor social media accounts

LANSING, MI (WTVB) – A new legislative push in Michigan seeks to require social media platforms to obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent before allowing minors to create or use accounts. The proposed bills are part of a broader effort by state lawmakers to address growing concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental health and safety.

State Representative Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills) is the primary sponsor of the House legislation, known as the Social Media Regulation Act (House Bill 4388). Representative Tisdel argues that since minors cannot legally consent to a contract, parental involvement is essential for their online welfare. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Thomas Albert (R-Lowell).

Key Provisions of the Proposed Legislation:

• Age Verification: Social media platforms with more than five million users would be required to verify a user’s age.Parental Consent: If a user is under 18, the platform must get explicit parental or guardian permission before activating the account.
• Parental Access & Control: Consenting parents would be given tools to supervise their child’s account, including the ability to view posts and messages, set daily time limits, and modify privacy settings.
• Usage Curfew: Minor accounts would automatically be blocked from access between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., though parents could override this setting.
• Targeted Advertising Ban: Platforms would be prohibited from using targeted advertising or friend/post suggestions on minor accounts and from collecting their personal information.
• Enforcement: The Michigan Attorney General would be empowered to investigate complaints and bring civil suits against companies, seeking fines of up to $2,500 per violation.

The proposed bill is currently in a House committee, and its future is uncertain, given that a similar attempt in 2024 did not advance out of committee. Several other states, including Florida and Utah, have passed or attempted to pass similar legislation, many of which are facing legal challenges.