To protect children from the dangers of the Internet, Utah on Tuesday became the first US state to require minors to obtain parental consent before joining social networks.
The various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have to check the age of all their users resident in the state, the American news channel CNN reported.
This new law will also ban advertising to minors and impose a curfew on them. Access to the sites will therefore be blocked between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Eventually, Utah’s Social Media Regulation Act will force platforms to allow access to their teens’ accounts.
“At the end of the day, it’s about protecting our children. As a legislator and as a parent, I believe this law is the best way to prevent our children from succumbing to the negative and sometimes deadly effects of social media,” said Republican Senator Michael McKell.