Bill to restrict social media use amongst children passes Oklahoma House

This week, a bill to limit social media access for children cleared the state House. Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, said he wanted age restrictions on social media apps. 

Caldwell argues the measure minimizes child harm  

This measure relates to mental health impacts on children from social media and data privacy concerns. Caldwell told lawmakers on the House floor on Monday that the bill's goal is to prevent the harm experts say social media apps can cause for children under the age of 16. 

Age verification for social media 

Anyone who uses social media apps would need to verify their age. A government-issued ID would be one way to complete age verification. Children aged 16 or 17 would need their parents' permission. The bill would also ban companies from collecting or sharing a child’s personal or location information. 

Caldwell said the state would charge a $2,500 fine to social media companies that violate this regulation. Caldwell said this measure is about holding social media companies accountable. 

“They’ve had decades. These are not brand-new things. These have been around for fifteen-plus years,” Caldwell said. “They’ve had fifteen-plus years to do the right thing and to protect our kids and, so far, they’ve failed to do so.” 

Democrats concerned over age verification 

House Democrats were concerned about using government-issued IDs to verify ages. They argued that this bill provides more data that social media companies could use for their benefit. Some lawmakers also questioned if this bill steps on the personal freedoms of parents. 

What’s next? 

The bill passed the House 64-30 and will head to the Senate for consideration.