Starting next year, child influencers can sue if earnings aren't set aside, says new law in the US

Shreya Nallamothu, the teen who brought her concerns to Koehler and set the legislation in motion, first zeroed in on the issue while scrolling through social media during quarantine three years ago. — AP

CHICAGO: Illinois is the first state in the US to ensure child social media influencers are compensated for their work, according to Sen. David Koehler, of Peoria, who sponsored a bill that was signed into law and will go into effect on July 1, 2024.

"The rise of social media has given children new opportunities to earn a profit,” Koehler said in an emailed press release after the bill was signed Friday afternoon. "Many parents have taken this opportunity to pocket the money, while making their children continue to work in these digital environments.”