Latest news with #HouseBill186
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas bill banning social media for minors fails to pass
The Brief A Texas bill (HB 186) to ban social media for users under 18 failed to pass the state legislature. Critics of the bill argue that an age requirement is an invasion of the privacy of adult users. Patterson says he will bring up the bill again in 2027. AUSTIN, Texas - A bill that would have banned children under 18 from using social media in Texas did not pass the state legislature. House Bill 186, filed by state Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), was not brought up for a key vote ahead of the end of the legislative session on Monday. Dig deeper House Bill 186 would have required social media companies to verify a user's age when they sign up for an account. Under the bill, social media companies would be required to delete a child's account at the request of a parent or guardian. Companies that do not verify age or do not remove accounts could face penalties from the Texas Attorney General's Office. Violations would be sent to the Consumer Protection Division as a deceptive trade practice. Rep. Patterson called social media the "modern-day cigarette", citing its addictive nature. He also cited recent increases in self-harm and suicide rates for teens, which he believes is connected to the rise of social media. HB 186 passed the Texas House by a 116-25 vote in April. It was not brought to the full Senate. The other side Critics of the bill argue that it's an invasion of the privacy of adult users. A similar bill in Utah was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in 2024. The judge cited concerns about the bill violating the First Amendment. Tech companies, including Elon Musk's X, have established a presence in Texas. What they're saying "HB 186 is - by far - the biggest disappointment of my career," wrote Patterson on social media. "There was no bill filed this session that would have protected more kids in more ways than this one. HB 186 failing to pass this session means I've failed these kids and their families. At least for now. It's devastating, but I'm not done, not by a long shot. My purpose in being here, in this body and with this awesome responsibility, is to fight for those who can't fight for themselves. Even against billionaires and their tactics." Patterson says he plans to file a similar bill in 2027. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a different bill to limit children's access to some applications online. Senate Bill 2420 is also known as the App Store Accountability Act. Under the law, app store operators like Google and Apple will be required to verify the age of users in Texas and get parental consent from parents before allowing minors to download an app. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Abbott and asked him to change or veto the bill, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The Source Information on House Bill 186 comes from the Texas Legislature and social media posts from Rep. Jared Patterson.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill that would have banned Texas minors from social media misses key deadline
A bill that would have banned minors from having a social media account has missed a deadline to pass in the Texas Senate. House Bill 186, filed by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, sailed through the House 116-25 in May, but never received a vote in the Senate several days after a slew of teenagers spoke against it during a Senate committee hearing. The contents of the bill could still be attached to another as an amendment or as part of a budget stipulation, but it is unlikely this late into the legislative session, which ends Monday. The proposal, the most far-reaching of the bills filed to address online dangers this session, would prohibit minors from creating accounts on social media sites, such as Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and more, and require users to verify their ages. Companies would have to comply with the ban by April 2026. The bill would also allow parents to request the deletion of their child's existing social media account, and a company must comply within 10 days. The potential failure of the social media ban for minors comes as a surprise, considering Texas lawmakers have made regulating social media a priority this legislative session. Gov. Greg Abbott has already signed Senate Bill 2420, which restricts children from downloading apps, into law and emphasized his support of protecting children's online presence. 'Safety and online privacy for Texas children remains a priority for Governor Abbott, which is why he signed SB 2420 into law. Texas will empower parents to have more control over the online content their children can access,' said Andrew Mahaleris, his press secretary, when asked about Abbott's support of HB 186. Under HB 186, any website that allows users to curate and create content is considered a social media website and is cut off from minors. News and sports websites will be safe. Lawmakers are also considering House Bill 499, by Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, which would require social media platforms to have a warning label about the association between a minor's social media usage and significant mental health issues. As of June 2024, 10 states, including Texas, have passed laws restricting children's access to social media, according to the Age Verification Providers Association. Studies show that 95% of youth aged 13 to 17 report using social media, with more than a third stating they use social media 'almost constantly.' Two years ago, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Psychological Association, among other national organizations, called out social media platforms for undermining classroom learning, increasing costs for school systems, and being a 'root cause' of the nationwide youth mental health crisis. Several social media platforms and application management companies have noted that the state's measures to protect children are too far-reaching and will have an impact beyond their intended scope. An Apple spokesperson said that while they share the goal of strengthening kids' online safety, the current proposals coming out of Texas will require them to retain sensitive, personally identifiable information for every Texan who wants to download an app. Most social media platforms and online applications ask for age verification before signing up, but Texas is looking for more intensive measures, according to the Age Verification Providers Association, such as requiring a license or outright banning minors until they can prove they are older than 16 or 18. Congress is considering the Kids Online Safety Act, which does not require app marketplaces to collect and keep sensitive data, such as passports or driver's licenses, from all users to verify age. Apple supports the federal legislation's approach over Texas'. The outright ban on social media for minors has also garnered criticism from many on social media, including prominent conservative accounts such as Ian Miles Cheong, Laura Loomer, and Libs of TikTok, who have denounced the bill for excluding video games from the ban completely and for leaving a loophole open for video applications like YouTube and TikTok due to the bill's wording. 'Let people parent their children how they see fit. Parents are more than capable of controlling their children's screen time. Stop nanny state legislation. This is what Democrats do, not Republicans,' said Loomer in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The social media ban, even if passed via another bill, is expected to face challenges in court, as some argue that it violates the First Amendment. 'It's going too far. It's sweeping adult speech into it without realizing that by adding an unnecessary hurdle, it affects everyone,' said Kathleen Farley, a First Amendment lawyer for the Washington, D.C.-based Chamber of Progress. She said that, just like video games, social media, and online applications already have a voluntary ratings system that parents can access before any minor can access a website or application, and anything more stringent is usually considered too broad a restriction for the courts. 'I think all of this shows a need for people to be better educated on the current parental controls that exist in app stores. There are already ratings and ways to prevent children from downloading certain apps,' she said. 'The fact that this legislation is being pushed is either that people don't know about it, or it's too hard to use.' Disclosure: Apple and Facebook have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
CNET
27-05-2025
- Health
- CNET
Texas Bill Would Ban Social Media for Minors. Here's What That Would Mean
Texas may soon pass into law one of the most restrictive set of social media rules for minors, including making it illegal for those under 18 to be on social media. House Bill 186 would not only prohibit minors from creating new social media accounts on services such as TikTok, Instagram and X, but it would require age verification for everyone else creating a new account. Under the law, parents could request a minor's social media account be deleted and the platform would be required to remove it within 10 days or face fines and lawsuits. Lawmakers who support the bill say it will counter the mental health harm that social media poses to teens. The bill has passed the Texas House of Representatives and still needs to pass the state senate and get a signature from governor Greg Abbott. A similar law passed in Utah last year was blocked months later by a federal judge. A legal battle over social media restrictions in Florida is also ongoing.
Gizmodo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
Texas Lawmakers Consider Legislation to Ban Minors From Social Media
Similar laws nationwide are being challenged and blocked by federal courts over potential First Amendment violations. Texas is set to lead the nation in restrictive legislation. Under a proposed bill, minors would be banned from social media, while platforms would also be required to introduce age verification methods. While supporters say the change would make children safer, critics argue that such legislation may do the exact opposite. Introduced in November, House Bill 186 would prevent minors from creating accounts on social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and more. Platforms would be required to use 'public or private transactional data' to verify that account holders are at least 18 years old. In addition, parents could request the deletion of any of their child's existing accounts. Companies would have to cooperate with that request within 10 days. Under the law, social media platforms are limited to public websites or applications that allow users to communicate with each other 'for the primary purpose of posting information, comments, messages, or images.' It wouldn't apply to e-mail, news, or gambling sties. The bill's author, Rep. Jared Patterson, has consistently framed HB 186 as addressing a mental health crisis. In a March social media post, he wrote, 'I consider this to be the most important bill I will present to my House colleagues this session. After extensive research, it's clear: social media is the most harmful product our kids have legal access to in Texas.' According to the Age Verification Providers Associate, 10 states have passed their own legislation restricting minors' social media access since June 2024. Many laws center around limiting access to porn, like Texas' pre-existing HB 1181, which requires age verification if at least a third of a website's content is 'sexual material harmful to minors.' (That law is now at the center of a Supreme Court case.) But per the Texas Tribune, Florida is the only other state with a similar outright ban on social media for minors. However, it only extends to those under 14. HB 186 has already passed Texas' House with bipartisan support and, so far, it seems that members of the Senate are fans as well. Per the Texas Tribune, Sen. Adam Hinojosa, co-sponsor, told fellow lawmakers at a recent State Affairs Committee hearing, 'Like so many parents across our state, I've watched my children grow up in a world that feels less and less safe, not because of where they go physically, but because of where they go online, in spaces that my wife and I cannot possibly monitor at all times.' 'We have the ability and the power to act today,' Hinojosa also told lawmakers. 'With House Bill 186, we confront the evil before us and boldly say, 'You cannot have our children.'' It's true that social media harms youth (and adults, too). In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned that although social media's impacts aren't fully understood, 'There are ample indicators that [it] can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.' Following Murthy's comments, the American Psychological Association released a health advisory on adolescent social media use. It also released a report with the American Federation for Teachers and several other organizations detailing social media's contribution to worsening mental health. But strict bills like HB 186 don't necessarily address that problem. As Morgan McGuire, a 17-year-old Texas resident and TikTok creator, said, per the Texas Tribune, 'The harmful content that young people are exposed to online does not disappear when they turn 18. The bill throws young adults into a digital world at a time when they are living on their own for the first time, without the support systems that they had as minors, which can have serious harm on mental health.' Age verification bills have also faced backlash for violating First Amendment rights. In a statement, Megan Stokes, state policy director for the Computer & Communications Industry Association, said, 'HB 186 conflicts with Texas contract law and undermines teens' rights to access information, express themselves, and participate in today's digital economy…[It] is a flawed proposal, one that censors speech rather than supporting families with tools and education.' In a letter, trade association NetChoice's director of policy, Patrick Hedger, noted that age verification laws in several other states are already being challenged and blocked by courts, including in Arkansas, California, Mississippi, Texas, and Utah. Hedger also said that Texas' proposed legislation 'usurps parental decision making,' writing, 'Every family has different needs. Some parents may allow their child to use YouTube Kids for educational videos, and others may choose to let their teen join a moderated online community to discuss their hobbies or interests.' 'These are choices that parents and guardians should have the right to make depending on their own child's needs — rather than the government mandating how families in Texas use the internet,' Hedger continued. Along with First Amendment concerns, age verification bills like HB 186 are privacy nightmares. Although the legislation says that social media platforms must delete personal data gathered for age verification, it doesn't explicitly state how soon nor does it provide social media platforms with guidance on how to prove their compliance. Per Hedger, this oversight incentivizes platforms to collect 'multiple forms of personally-identifiable information.' 'Platforms may utilize and delete one piece of 'transactional data' for age verification, while collecting and retaining other personal data for purposes of legal defense,' Hedger wrote. 'This means websites would need to collect and store sensitive information, creating massive databases that will inevitable become targets for hackers.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas bill pushes strictest social media ban for minors in the nation
A bill making its way through the Texas Legislature would ban minors from accessing popular social media apps and websites in an effort to curb what a lawmaker says is an addictive and "harmful product." Republican state Rep. Jared Patterson's measure, House Bill 186, passed the Texas House with bipartisan support last month and appears poised to be pushed through by the state Senate en route to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. In an interview with Fox News Digital on Monday, Patterson said the bill came about by speaking with multiple committees and with parents who have young kids about the effect that popular social media sites like X, TikTok, Facebook and Snapchat have on children. These committees and conversations came during the last two interims in the state Legislature that studied the issue of social media and minors. "Learning more about it, we really came to the realization that this is the most harmful product that our kids have access to in terms of its addictive nature," Patterson said. New Texas Law Takes Effect Requiring Parental Approval For Children To Create Social Media Accounts Read On The Fox News App Bill 186 would ban minors from signing up for accounts on social media, require parental consent to download applications, and place warning labels about the dangers of social media. Websites that allow users to create content and share it will be considered a social media platform and thus be banned from minors. However, websites containing news and sports will be accessible for minors. While Texas isn't the first state to put some restrictions on minors' access to social media platforms, it right now would be the strictest. As of June 2024, there are 10 states that have age restriction laws on social media for minors, according to the Age Verification Providers Association. Snapchat 'Openly Defying' Law, Allowing Kids Access To Harmful Addictive Content: Florida Ag Currently, only Florida has laws banning minors from using social media, but its laws are not as strict as the proposed Texas Bill 186. Florida's age restriction is currently 14 years old, while Texas's proposed limit would be for those under the age of 18. However, Patterson said the age restriction isn't set in stone. "We'll see what happens with the Senate. When [the bill] left the House, people under the age of 18 will be prohibited from social media. There was broad bipartisan support when the bill left the Texas house," Patterson said. "[The Senate has] every right to adjust it to whatever it needs to get out of that body." Moms For Liberty Co-founder Says Congress' Latest Bill To Protect Kids Online Has Serious Loophole Regardless of what changes are made, Patterson said he still feels strongly that protecting children is the No. 1 priority and that parents will realize just what exactly is happening. "It starts with the understanding that these parents don't stand a chance against these algorithms," he said. "It also starts with parents understanding that these apps aren't for friends sharing information with friends; they are built to harvest data and get people hooked on their products." Patterson said Texas will continue to "stand in the gap and protect these kids, even when these social media companies refuse to show up. "They refuse to answer for the harm they've caused, and they don't even care to answer questions in a public forum about what they've done to our kids."Original article source: Texas bill pushes strictest social media ban for minors in the nation
