A bill aiming to make Georgia children safer online sailed through a Senate committee, and with the backing of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, it appears poised for a full Senate vote.
Dallas Republican Sen. Jason Anavitarte’s Senate Bill 351 would require social media platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok to verify users’ ages. Children under 16 would need parental permission to create an account, and the platforms would be limited in how they collect data from minor users. It also calls on state and local boards of education to develop programs on topics like internet safety and cyberbullying.
The Senate Committee on Education and Youth approved it unanimously.
A recent consensus study by the National Academies of Science “did not support the conclusion that social media causes changes in adolescent health at the population level,” but did find that some features of social media can harm some young people’s mental health.