SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that cracks down on youth access to social media is advancing in the legislature.
The Utah State Senate voted 28-1 in favor of Senate Bill 152. It has been changed since it was first introduced. Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said the bill no longer requires an ID to be uploaded to a social media platform for age verification.
"I don’t envision that anymore," Sen. McKell told reporters on Monday. "As we’ve met with the Department of Commerce and Division of Consumer Protection, they wanted time to be able to work with the social media companies and look at what technologies are available."
Instead, Sen. McKell introduced a substitute bill that would create an age verification system through an administrative rule. That allows social media companies and the state to explore third-party software or other ways of handling it. It also delayed implementation of his bill until 2024. Sen. McKell indicated some social media providers were already exploring better age verification systems.
The bill would also block targeted advertising at youth with social media accounts, block them from being featured in searches, impose stricter data privacy and allow companies to be sued for alleged violations.
Governor Spencer Cox and members of the legislature have pushed for lawsuits and bills to crack down on youth access to social media. They argue it is harming the state's youth by impacting their mental health. In his State of the Union address, President Biden made comments supportive of social media regulation.
"Social media companies know their products are toxic for teens. They designed their products to be addictive," Sen. McKell said on the Senate floor.
Sen. McKell found bipartisan support for his legislation. But some lawmakers also questioned if it was the role of government to regulate this instead of leaving it up to parents.
The bill faces another procedural vote in the Senate.
