The Pennsylvania Capitol is viewed Dec. 16, 2021, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Parents and children are asking for such regulation, Munroe said.
The Washington-based Computer and Communications Industry Association — whose members include Google, owner of YouTube, and Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram — pointed out that the legislation, called House Bill 2017, has similarities to laws in other states that are being challenged in court.
"While the goal of protecting younger users is commendable, HB2017 risks infringing upon younger users’ ability to access and engage in open online expression and could cut off access to communities of support," the association said in a statement. "There are also significant data privacy and security concerns associated with the data collection that would be required to verify a user’s age and a parent/legal guardian’s relationship to a minor."
California-based Meta has said parental supervision tools and other measures already are in place to ensure teens have age-appropriate experiences online, and that algorithms are used to filter out harmful content.
The bill's "hateful conduct" provision is based on a 2022 New York law that has been blocked in federal court.
Last year, Utah became the first state to pass laws that require minors to get parental consent before using social media. That law has been challenged in federal court by the trade group NetChoice.
Also, last year, federal judges put on hold an Arkansas law that required parental consent for children to create social media accounts and a California law barring tech companies from profiling children or using personal information in ways that could harm children physically or mentally.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that sprang from legal challenges to state laws in Florida and Texas that seek to regulate Facebook, TikTok, X and other social media platforms.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The details of the two laws vary, but both sought to prevent the social media companies from censoring users based on their viewpoints.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pennsylvania-house-passes-bill-aimed-regulating-social-media-platforms-interactions-underage-users