(ConservativeSense.com) – Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is planning to sign a new bill requiring all social media platforms to obtain permission from parents in order for minors to register their accounts, claiming the legislation is designed to “protect kids” as well as “empower parents.”
The bill is called the Social Media Safety Act and the Arkansas GOP super-majority passed it this spring. After the governor signs the bill into law, new social media users will have to verify their ages using an independent third-party verification system, and those below the age of 18 will be required to obtain parental permission in order to sign up.
Commenting on the new bill, the governor said she hopes it will give parents more control and help them protect children from harm on social media platforms where younger folks are often easily exploited.
Sanders said that while social media can be “a great tool” that “a lot of us use on a daily basis” it can “also be really dangerous for young kids.” The governor cited “depression, loneliness,” as well as “suicide rates among teenagers” which “have doubled since social media became so widespread.”
The law, which will only apply to Arkansas residents and takes effect on September 1, will only apply to businesses with over $100 million in annual gross revenue, targeting the most popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.
Another bill recently proposed to protect children in Arkansas was approved by the Republican-majority House last month and sent to the governor, which would forbid transgender staff and students from using bathrooms that correspond to their “gender identity.” Sanders still hasn’t confirmed if she will sign this bill, although based on her recent signing of legislation making it easier to sue “gender-affirming care” providers for children, it’s likely that she will.
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