Ark. Panel Likes Parental Consent for Social Media
Another state bill to require age verification and parental consent for social media advanced Tuesday. The Arkansas Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee unanimously voted by voice for SB-396 at a livestreamed hearing. Utah enacted a similar law last week (see…
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2303240035) and other states are advancing similar measures. The Arkansas proposal, which would apply only to new accounts and require kids under 18 to get parental consent to set up profiles on platforms that have at least $100 million in annual revenue, is “a reasonable solution to a serious problem,” said sponsor Sen. Tyler Dees (R). Some state senators asked about the proposal’s logistics, including how to prevent kids from faking their age and how to confirm the adult giving consent is a parent with that authority. NetChoice lobbyist Dustin Brighton urged the committee to reject the measure. "This isn't a parents' rights bill" but rather a "government knows better bill,” he said. Parents can handle this without government intervention, he said. NetChoice has concerns with the bill including a private right of action, Brighton added. Committee Vice Chair Reginald Murdock (D) and Sen. Mark Johnson (R) noted not all parents may be capable of regulating their kids’ social media usage, even though they should be. Sen. Justin Boyd (R) said in certain cases, as with smoking and movie ratings, “maybe the government does know better.”