LD 844 is a new bill that is being proposed by State Representative Ken Fredette that would require social media companies to enforce age limit requirements.
“Children can’t buy cigarettes, they can’t drink under the age of 21, they can’t enlist in the military until they’re 18, and so really, when you’re talking about these platforms, [they can] have a very negative impact on children. I think this is something who’s time has come,” Fredette said in a quote from CBS 13 news.
The bill would require social media companies to verify the ages of people looking to become an account holder.
Fredette says that the bill seeks to prevent children under age 16 from opening their own social media accounts.
With consent from a parent, teenagers aged 14 or 15 could have their own accounts, however those under 14 would be prohibited.
Fredette says that social media can have a negative impact on children, and that the bill does not name a specific social media platform that would be affected.
