A new law in Texas has come into effect, requiring parental approval for children to create social media accounts. This law, a part of the SCOPE Act (House Bill 18), was signed by Governor Greg Abbott last year and aims to address concerns about the potential dangers of unmonitored social media use for children, including cyberbullying and predators.
Republican state Rep. Shelby Slawson, in a committee hearing, highlighted the potential risks of unsupervised social media access, citing a case where a Texas teenager was rescued from a shed in North Carolina, where she was held by a predator who allegedly lured her through a chat app.
While the law intends to address these concerns, it’s important to note that in its current form, it does not directly flag these types of contacts. Some provisions aimed at filtering harmful content were blocked by a judge last week. However, the requirement for parental consent to create an account and the authority for parents to oversee their child’s online activity remain in place.
Several social media companies have argued that they already have measures in place to protect children online. Antigone Davis, a spokesperson for Meta, Facebook’s parent company, stated that they have developed over 30 tools to ensure a safe and positive experience for young users, including parental supervision tools, time limits, and the ability for parents to see their child’s following list. Meta also emphasized that Facebook and Instagram already have safeguards in place to protect children and that teenagers’ accounts utilize AI to screen for false dates of birth used to create accounts.
Brian Dixon, a child psychiatrist with the Texas Medical Association, spoke about the observed impact of social media on children’s mental health. He highlighted the constant exposure to various content without any filter or perspective, leading to potential challenges with understanding advertising and navigating the online world.
While Texas has implemented this law, similar legislation in other states aiming to regulate social media access for young people has been blocked by courts. The debate over balancing children’s online safety with freedom of expression and social media companies’ responsibilities continues.
