ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Friday, May 15, the Senate passed Senator Erin Maye Quade’s (DFL-Apple Valley) bill to protect children online (HF 4138), 66-0. The bill requires children to have parental consent to have a social media account, and protections for data privacy, against addictive features, and against paid advertising for those child accounts age 15 and under.
Senator Maye Quade releases the following statement:
“I am proud to stand against the harm that unregulated tech companies are wreaking on the youngest Minnesotans. Social media companies create intentionally addicting technology to extract as much of our data and attention as possible, and study after study has shown that social media use is linked to increased depression, anxiety, and negative body image for people of all ages, but especially kids. This decisive vote affirms that children are not products for billion-dollar companies — they are people who deserve protection from the proven harms of excessive social media use. With support from parents, young people will be able to participate online and be shielded from predatory corporate practices.”
The bill passed 132-2 in the House. It will now move back to the House for concurrence.
Learn more about Sen. Maye Quade.
