UT: Utah Signs Law Limiting Social Media Use

Source: esguniversity.substack.com 3/26/23

On Thursday, Utah became the first state to enact legislation that restricts children and teens from using social media without their parents’ consent.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed two bills into law aimed at limiting when and where anyone younger than 18 years old can interact online, and to stop companies from luring minors to certain websites.

Under the law that’s due to take effect on March 1, 2024, social media companies will have to instate a curfew for minors in the state, barring them from using their accounts from 10:30pm to 6:30am.

The law also requires companies to give the parent or guardian full access to the child’s account. Adult will have to verify information, like age, otherwise they will lose access to the accounts.

Read the full article

Related article:

Utah governor Twitter-fights free speech lawyer over social media law [axios.com 3/17/23]

 

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Child rearing again. Convenience regulated away. Interestingly, one may presume LEO will be impacted by the move if it be law.
But those cops pretending to be children may find themselves caught up if they’re operating in Utah. Utah also happens to have a database Mecca of epic proportions in and around Saratoga Springs. We inevitably will see conflict as a result as the surveillance saints fight for turf. Most of which encompasses the notion of Administrative Conservatory Theory. No doubt questions of constitutional nature will arise. Keep in mind Big Tech is responding to congressional demands that impact their primary target audience CHILDREN. (They’re not passing around ipad in schools for nothing) Children, so they say, was the chant in the call to indentured servitude promulgated and approved whole heartedly in Doe03. So what happens to parents who opt out of state law, by permitted use of their accounts instead of the kidz.

Ok, correct me if I’m wrong, and I know I’m not, but even children have constitutional rights, that includes the 1st amendment. So how I really like to see how they think they are going to try and uphold this unconstitutional law. Hopefully Utah’s ACLU will jump all over this crap.

You may not agree, but I see this as a good thing. Children are the most vulnerable to app algorithms which addict them to the apps themselves and also kids post those ‘challenges’ or ‘dares’ that have already taken the lives of some of those who have accepted challenges that killed them, and you might say out of rationality that they will find some other way, which in any addiction is true, but it will lessen the amount of foolish activity and challenges they are exposed to as well as other things they should not be exposed to at such a young, vulnerable age. There is a reason there are movie ratings and video game ratings and I doubt anyone who has children that care about them and what they are exposed to just let them watch ANYTHING they want or go anywhere they want, that is unless you believe we should live in a world where anything goes at any time and anywhere at any age.

The Axios article shows what the reality of it is while I provide Packingham as proof you cannot prohibit someone from a public square. Given that, if the social media companies actually monitored and enforced their T&Cs where age minimums are applicable, then there might be some footing to show minors cannot be on them. Social media has six main definitions that can be branched out to many others which cover many websites. I have not read the bill, but have to wonder if they’re penalties for parents who violate the new law should it go into effect.

Last edited 11 months ago by TS
  1. Although it won’t happen, I still think the right solution is to dramatically lower the criminal penalties by no longer considering cybercrimes to be sex crimes. Those parents will learn real quick that they’d have to be the ones monitoring and restricting their child’s online activity. Not depending on the government to throw someone in prison for years for chatting with their “little girl” online.

The constitution doesn’t matter, because a parent’s rights over their child overrides the constitution, unless it involves something nefarious. The parent still has the choice to let their child use a social media account. If the state law was stopping them, then there might be a problem. As far as regulating these social media companies, we already have constitutional laws that prevent companies from marketing booze and cigarettes to children. I believe the Utah legislature is trying to follow that same path

Do these lawmakers really think a law is going to prevent minors from using those websites after hours? Parents who don’t care what their kids are doing aren’t going to do anything about it either.
Social media companies can’t do too much about it either because all a kid has to do is click “I’m 18 or older” when signing up. The only way websites can verify age is by having their users submit ID, and still there’s ways around that.
Just because there’s a law doesn’t mean there’s not ways to circumvent it, and we all know how kids are good at finding loopholes in the rules.

So, should the Gov’t regulate this on their behalf since they can’t seem to save themselves from it or should the parent work with the minor to do something about it?

“Nearly half of adolescent girls on TikTok feel addicted to it or use the platform for longer than they intend, according to a report that looks at social media as a central facet of American girlhood.”

(WAPO, Mar 30, 2023, TikTok is addictive for many girls, especially those with depression,
Study of social media platforms deepens our picture of the struggles faced by teen girls)

Last edited 11 months ago by TS