U.S. Laws on Screentime, Children and Privacy

New Hampshire

The New Hampshire executive order signed by Gov. Chris Sununu that aims to address the impact of social media on children calling on the attorney general to investigate the possible harmful effects of social media and create an educational  curriculum for students.

New Jersey

 S-715/A-1992 forms a commission, comprising experts, educators, and advocates, tasked with investigating the impact of social media on youth. They are proposing usage standards and strategies to mitigate its adverse effects within one year.

Utah

The Utah Social Media Regulation Acts SB 152  and HB 311  restrict children and teens from using social media without their parents’ consent and social media companies will have to instate a curfew for minors in the state, barring them from using their accounts from 10:30pm to 6:30 am. In addition, social media companies: cannot collect a minor’s data, target minor’s social media accounts for advertising or target minor’s social media accounts with addictive designs or features. 

Maryland

HB1110 mandated the development of Digital Best Practices for screens in the the classroom. 

Louisiana

passed HB548 requiring the state Department of Education to develop and distribute health and safety guidelines relative to best practices for the use of digital devices in public schools, resulting in these guidelines:

California

AB 2273, the bipartisan Age-Appropriate Design Code Act requires tech companies to default to privacy and safety settings ‘that protect children’s mental and physical health and well-being.’

AB 272 requires schools to adopt policies to limit or prohibit smartphone use by students at school except in emergencies or other noted exceptions:

Florida

HB 379  prohibits the use of TikTok on devices owned by school districts and through internet access provided by districts. Cell phones cannot be used during lessons unless “expressly directed by a teacher solely for educational purposes.”

Minnesota

 124D.166 says preschool and kindergarten students can only use an individual-use screen, like an iPad or tablet with engagement from a teacher or other adult.

Arkansas

New  legislation requires minors to get their parents’ permission to create a new account.

Montana

 SB 429 banned the social media app TikTok.