Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) said Sunday that his state’s new first-of-its-kind legislation that restricts children and teens from using social media without their parents’ consent are not expected to be “foolproof.”
Driving the news: Cox said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that his administration is working with social media companies to implement the legislation, which was passed Thursday, but he also acknowledged the potential for roadblocks.
- “We don’t think it’s going to be foolproof, there’s no question about that,” Cox said Sunday.
- “But we are working with social media companies, again, over the course of the year, we will be going through a rule-making process to figure out what that’s going to look like,” he added.
- He called on Congress to implement laws regulating social media. “But the states have to lead out,” he said, adding that he “expects other states to follow.”
The big picture: Under one of the laws, which is set to take effect March 1, 2024, social media companies will have to set a curfew for minors in Utah, preventing them from using their accounts from 10:30pm to 6:30am.
- It also requires companies to give a parent or guardian access to their child’s accounts.
- Cox said that the legislation could face “enforcement issues” and confront other legal challenges, but he said he feels “confident” that the law will overcome any potential challenges.
- “We understand that there are definitely going to be enforcement issues, anytime you wade into this type of an industry. It’s going to be tough,” he said.
Go deeper… Social media’s effects on teen mental health come into focus
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