The Stalled Bill: A Missed Deadline

Austin, Texas – A bill aimed at prohibiting minors from accessing social media platforms failed to meet the approval deadline in the texas Senate, casting doubt on its future. House Bill 186, authored by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, sailed through the House of Representatives with a decisive 116-25 vote in May. However,the Senate did not vote on the measure,even after protests from teenagers against a hearing of the Senate Committee.

Despite this setback, the billS content could potentially be attached to another piece of legislation as an amendment or incorporated into a budget stipulation. Though, with the legislative session concluding on Monday, such a scenario is considered unlikely.

Bill 186: Scope and Provisions

House Bill 186 proposed a sweeping ban, preventing minors from creating accounts on popular social networks such as Twitter, tiktok, Facebook, and Snapchat. The bill would have mandated age verification for all users, requiring companies to comply with the ban by April 2026.

Key provisions of the bill included:

• prohibition of minors from creating social media accounts.
• Mandatory age verification for all social media users.
• Requirement for companies to comply with the ban by April 2026.
• Allowing parents to request the deletion of their children’s social media accounts, with companies required to comply within 10 days.

surprising Failure Amidst Prioritized Regulation

The potential failure of the social media ban is unexpected, given the emphasis Texas legislators have placed on regulating social networks during this legislative session.gov. Greg Abbott has already signed Senate Bill 2420 into law, which restricts minors from downloading certain applications, underscoring his commitment to protecting children’s online presence.

Andrew Mahalleris,Gov. Abbott’s press secretary, stated, Online security and privacy of Texas children remains a priority for Governor Abbott, which is why he promulgated bill 2420. Texas will allow parents to have greater control over the online content that their children access.

Defining Social Networks Under HB 186

under House Bill 186,a social network is defined as any website that allows users to select and create content,effectively excluding minors from accessing such platforms. News and sports websites are exempt from this definition.

Choice Measures and Mental Health Concerns

Texas legislators are also considering house Bill 499, authored by Rep. Mary González,D-Clint,which would require social media platforms to display warning labels about the connection between social media use by minors and mental health issues.

Studies indicate that 95% of young people between 13 and 17 use social networks, with over a third reporting near-constant usage.

Two years ago, organizations such as the American Federation of Teachers and the American Psychological Association raised concerns about social media platforms undermining classroom learning, increasing costs for school systems, and contributing to the youth mental health crisis.

Industry Concerns and the Online Child Security Law

Social media platforms and request management companies have expressed concerns that state measures to protect minors are overly broad and could have unintended consequences. An Apple spokesman noted that while they share the goal of enhancing online safety for minors, the Texas proposals would necessitate collecting and retaining confidential personal identification information from every Texan seeking to download an application.

While most social media and online application platforms already request age verification during registration, Texas seeks more stringent measures, such as requiring a license or outright prohibiting access to minors until they can prove they are over 16 or 18, according to the Association of Age Verification Suppliers.

The U.S. Congress is considering the Online Child Security Law, which, unlike the Texas proposals, does not mandate application platforms to collect and retain sensitive data like passports or driver’s licenses for age verification. apple supports the federal approach over the Texas model.

Criticism and First amendment Concerns

The proposed social media ban has faced criticism,including from prominent conservative voices such as Ian Miles Cheong,Laura Loomer,and Libs of TikTok,who argue that the bill unfairly excludes video games and creates loopholes for video applications like YouTube and TikTok.

Laura Loomer posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: That each person raise their children as they seem. Parents are more than able to control the time their children spend in front of the screen. They stop legislation on paternalistic states. This is what the Democrats do, not republicans.

The potential ban also faces legal challenges, with some arguing that it violates the First Amendment.

It is going too far. It is including the freedom of expression of adults without realizing that, by adding an unnecessary obstacle, it affects everyone.
Kathleen Farley, lawyer specialized in the first amendment of the Chamber of Progress

Farley added that social networks and online applications already have voluntary classification systems accessible to parents, and stricter restrictions could be deemed overly broad by the courts. I think all this demonstrates the need for people to be better informed about the current parental controls that exist in application stores. There are already classifications and ways to prevent children from downloading certain applications. The fact that this legislation is being promoted is because people are unaware of it that is too difficult to use, she said.