Lawmakers in Tennessee are trying to require parental consent before children join social media

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Republican Party-dominated Senate on Monday unanimously signed legislation requiring minors to have parental permission to create social media accounts.

The bill is similar to measures currently being taken in the United States, as concerns about young people’s internet use grow. Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Utah have all passed measures requiring parental consent for children’s social media use — although Arkansas’ version is currently blocked as a federal lawsuit works its way through the courts. Georgia sent a proposal to Governor Brian Kemp last month for his signature or veto.

The Tennessee Senate passed its version without debate, although lawmakers made a last-minute addition to clarify that the bill only applied to social media websites. That means the House floor must approve these changes before they can go to Governor Bill Lee’s desk for approval.

To comply with federal regulations, social media companies already ban children under the age of 13 from signing up for their platforms, but it has been shown that children can easily circumvent the restrictions.

However, Tennessee lawmakers hope to require social media companies to provide parents with options to view privacy settings, set daily time limits and implement mandatory breaks.

If passed, it would authorize the attorney general to investigate and sue a social media platform for possible violations.

Up to 95% of teens ages 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use it “almost constantly,” the Pew Research Center found.