Texas can pass the law is one of the most annoying set of social media rules for minors, including it illegal for 18 on social media.
Home Bill 186 Menors not only prohibit new social media accounts in services such as gubattry, instagram and x, but it will require age verification for all that makes a new account. Under the law, parents can ask a minor social media account that has been deleted and the platform must remove it within 10 days or sticks. Legislators who support the bill Say it counter Mental health is harmful that social media has teenagers.
The bill has passed the Texas House of Representatives and has to pass the Senate to the State and obtain a signature from Governor Greg Abbott. A similar law passed by Utah last year but blocks the months later in a federal judge. A legal war On top of Florida social media constraints.
Effects if the bill passes
If passed, the bill will be implemented on September 1 and will be implemented by the fine of January 1, 2026. The deadline for the legislature to pass the bill is June 2.
A previous law passed in Texas in 2023, The Scope ActRefers to children’s protection from social media sites by preventing the data type they can collect and which types of advertising transactions can be displayed in minors.
That work was challenged by the courts and its provisions were restricted District’s decisions.
The University of Houston Political Science Professor Bruson Roltinghaus says that the new bill, when passable, may face some similar legal hurdles as scope.
“The US Supreme Court is currently considering the legality of such a law, so that will have serious impact on how Texas can enforce the scope,” The high court has ruled that websites can be compelled to verify the age of their users, but in a political environment that emphasizes a Return to parental rights, we might see the politics of this change the court’s mind. “
ROTTINGHAUAs believes social companies to fight with new rules, “but they finally have no choice.”
In addition to efforts to prevent social media through state, there is movement toward passing the law of ban at the national level.
“It was a beautiful heavy lifting for it to be a federal law, but political conversation about it was sure to be shocked,” says Rottinghaus.
The Legislature of Texas State can also Go through law HB 499that will require social-media platforms to indicate a warning sign about mental health risk of minor services. That legislation was also passed to the Texas house.
