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SD 3759

An Act relative to youth social media safety

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Ryan Fattman

Massachusetts would restrict minor access to social media by age, require parental consent for older youths, impose daily use caps, and set penalties for platforms failing to compl

Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SD 3759

Summary: An Act relative to youth social media safety (Massachusetts Senate Docket No. 3759)

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes regulatory framework to limit the use of social media platforms by minors in Massachusetts.
  • Aims to restrict account creation and usage for younger users, with age-verification and parental consent, and to set daily time limits for minors.
  • Creates penalties and an enforcement regime administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Key provisions

  • New chapter: Adds Chapter 93M, “Regulating the Use of Social Media Platform Accounts for Minors,” to the General Laws.

  • Definitions (Section 1):

    • Social media platform: websites/apps that enable account creation, interaction, content sharing, and algorithmic feeds.
    • Minor: under 18.
    • Parent/guardian: legal custodian, including court-appointed guardians.
    • Account: user-specific identity on a platform.
    • Hours of use: total active usage time, excluding time on age-verification or consent prompts.
    • Department: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

  • Age-based eligibility and access (Section 2):

    • By November 1, 2026, platforms may not allow account creation for minors under 15 (with age-verification mechanisms).
    • For ages 15–16: account creation allowed only with verified parental/guardian consent; daily use capped at 2 hours.
    • For ages 17: account creation allowed only with verified parental/guardian consent; daily use capped at 3 hours.
    • On the minor’s 18th birthday (as recorded at account creation), platforms must lift minor-specific restrictions and cease enforcing the minor rules, except as otherwise required by law.

  • Penalties (Section 3):

    • Civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation for platforms that knowingly or negligently permit violation of Section 2 (eligibility and use limits).

  • Enforcement and regulatory framework (Section 4):

    • DESE to promulgate regulations to enforce the act.
    • Regulations to cover:
    • Age-verification processes with minimum data collection.
    • Acceptable forms of identification.
    • Confirmation of receipt of age/consent information.
    • Verification that a parent/guardian provided consent.
    • Data retention, protection, and secure disposal of information obtained for verification.
    • Restrictions on using verification data for purposes other than compliance; if using an agent, the agent must have U.S. principal place of business.
    • Alignment with state and federal law.
    • Platforms must comply with these regulations; enforcement through civil penalties as described.

  • Effective date (Section 5):

    • The act takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Who is affected

  • Social media platforms operating in Massachusetts.
  • Minors (and their parents/guardians) in Massachusetts who would seek to create or use social media accounts.
  • DESE, which would regulate and enforce compliance through regulations and oversight.

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Effective date: July 1, 2026.
  • Age restrictions begin in stages, with the key implementation date for prohibiting under-15 accounts set for November 1, 2026.
  • Pending committee actions noted: Rules and Judiciary committees, with initial action in March 2026.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Substantive changes to how platforms verify age and obtain parental consent for minors, with explicit daily usage caps for younger minors.
  • Potentially significant compliance costs and operational changes for social media platforms, including privacy and data handling.
  • Clear penalties for noncompliance, creating enforcement incentives for platforms.
  • Impact on minors’ access to social media and on parental involvement in account creation and ongoing use.
  • Regulatory framework to be developed by DESE, shaping practical implementation, verification methods, and data protections.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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