Beacon Hill sets sights on teen social media rules
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Social media platforms would be forced to turn off addictive features by default for minors under legislation set to pass the Massachusetts Senate on Thursday.
Why it matters: Lawmakers are racing to address youth social media use, but like on so many issues, the House and Senate disagree sharply on how far to go.
- The Senate's focus on the most addictive features of social media — like endlessly scrolling videos — is a narrower approach than the House's plan to ban some of the most popular social sites and apps.
State of play: The Senate measure would require default settings that turn off algorithm-driven feeds, autoplay videos, infinite scroll and overnight notifications for users under 18.
- Platforms would also be required to send usage reminders after an hour of daily use and every 30 minutes after that.
- The attorney general would enforce the restrictions, with fines up to $5,000 per violating account.
Between the lines: Senate leaders are trying to change the platform's design and functions instead of limiting speech or access for users.
- They hope their method would survive any First Amendment challenges.
- Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem said the bill doesn't include Gov. Healey's preferred two-hour daily time cap to stay on the right side of constitutional scrutiny.
The other side: The House's bill takes a much different approach.
- It would ban many social media networks for kids under 14 and require parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.
- The House charges the attorney general with coming up with ways to verify users' ages, which opponents worry could lead to facial recognition and uploaded ID verification protocols.
- Senators and privacy advocates argue that social media companies may resort to methods that violate users' privacy.
Advocacy groups, including Fight for the Future, favor the Senate's approach, saying the House model could cut off vulnerable youth from online support networks.
- The House's plan would also include school cellphone restrictions that the Senate dealt with in a separate bill.
What's next: If the Senate's version becomes law, most provisions wouldn't take effect until August 2027.
- Before that, though, the House and Senate need to compromise on a single approach. New legislative rules mean negotiations could stretch through the end of the year.