Kentucky House unanimously passes a bill requiring parental permission for children to use social media, aiming to reduce addiction.
FRANKFORT, Ky (WDRB) — A new bill advancing through the Kentucky General Assembly could soon decide how young is too young to use social media.
Lawmakers in the Kentucky House of Representatives passed legislation aimed at limiting children’s access to social media platforms unless they receive parental permission.
Supporters say the measure seeks to reduce what they describe as the addictive nature of social media for young users.
“I don’t overstate things, but this may be the most impactful legislation we pass this session,” said Matthew Lehman, a Democrat from Campbell County.
The proposal targets several of the world’s most widely used platforms, including X (Twitter), Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
Lawmakers say the companies behind these platforms have the resources to address issues affecting young users.
“These companies have made their investors very rich,” Lehman said. “They have the resources. They have the best engineers in the world to fix the problem. They refuse.”
How the bill would work
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Matt Lockett, said the legislation focuses on how companies already track user data to sell advertising.
“So it relies on age estimation,” said Lockett, a Republican from Jessamine County. “They are already doing this to determine the age of a user to sell advertising. When you detect a minor, that sends up red flags. You have to gain parental consent or kick them off the platform.”
Supporters say the measure aims to protect children from targeted advertising and limit exposure to content designed to keep users scrolling.
Concerns about addiction
Several lawmakers compared the pull of social media to other addictive behaviors, including gambling, alcohol and cigarettes.
“It is very addicting,” Lockett said. “That’s one of the things the bill tries to get at — the addictive nature to children.”
He acknowledged that regulating adult use would be much harder but said lawmakers believe the state can and should step in to protect minors.
Rare unanimous vote
The bill passed the House without a single opposing vote, a rare outcome in today’s political climate.
“I’m glad you’re starting this,” one lawmaker said during debate. “Hopefully we can make sure that all the families and parents know how dangerous this is.”
If the measure becomes law, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office would handle enforcement.
The bill now moves to the state Senate for consideration.
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