BOSTON (WHDH) - The Massachusetts House of Representatives will vote Wednesday on legislation that would prohibit social media use for children under 14-years-old and require social media companies to implement a verification system.
In a joint statement, Massachusetts House of Representatives Speaker Ronald Mariano and Chairman Aaron Michlewitz wrote, “The bill prohibits social media use for children under 14 in Massachusetts, and requires platforms to obtain parental consent for users ages 14 and 15. This ban would be among the most restrictive in the entire country, helping to protect young people from harmful content and addictive algorithms that have a proven negative impact on their mental health. Additionally, to improve student focus and foster a healthier, more productive learning environment, the legislation prohibits students from using cell phones in school.”
If passed, the bill would require social media companies to implement an age verification system to determine whether a current or prospective user of the platform meets the age requirement. Parents of a minor user would also be given access to data submitted by the user from the social media platform.
In addition to social media age requirements, the bill would require school districts to have a policy to prohibit students from using personal electronic devices during the school day and any school-sponsored activities.
A social media expert said that despite similar bans in countries such as Australia, teenagers can still find a way around it.
“Studies have shown that still there’s 70 percent of those teens are on social media because they’re using VPNs to use it from another country, for instance. Or they’ll just find another way to make an account using another alias,” said Linda Charmaraman, founder and director of the Youth, Media & Wellbeing Research Lab.
If passed, the Attorney General would be required to formally announce the law by September 1, 2026, and the policies would then go into effect on October 1, 2026.
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