Texas Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, is the author of Bill 186, which would ban minors under 18 from accessing social media platforms. (Rep. Jared Patterson)
Bill 186 would ban minors from signing up for accounts on social media, require parental consent to download applications, and place warning labels about the dangers of social media.
Websites that allow users to create content and share it will be considered a social media platform and thus be banned from minors.
However, websites containing news and sports will be accessible for minors.
While Texas isn’t the first state to put some restrictions on minors' access to social media platforms, it right now would be the strictest.
As of June 2024, there are 10 states that have age restriction laws on social media for minors, according to the Age Verification Providers Association.
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Bill 186 would ban minors from signing up for accounts on social media, require parental consent to download applications, and place warning labels about the dangers of social media. (iStock)
Regardless of what changes are made, Patterson said he still feels strongly that protecting children is the No. 1 priority and that parents will realize just what exactly is happening.
"It starts with the understanding that these parents don’t stand a chance against these algorithms," he said. "It also starts with parents understanding that these apps aren’t for friends sharing information with friends; they are built to harvest data and get people hooked on their products."
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Patterson said Texas will continue to "stand in the gap and protect these kids, even when these social media companies refuse to show up.
"They refuse to answer for the harm they’ve caused, and they don't even care to answer questions in a public forum about what they’ve done to our kids."
Nick Butler is a Breaking and Trending News Writer for Fox News Digital.
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