US state lawmakers seek to require parental permission before children join social media

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms, but children have been shown to easily evade the restrictions. — Image by Freepik

NASHVILLE: Tennessee's GOP-dominant Senate on Monday unanimously signed off on legislation requiring minors to have parental consent to create social media accounts.

The bill is similar to pushes currently being made across the United States as concern grows over young people's Internet usage. Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Utah have all passed measures requiring parental consent for children to use social media – though Arkansas' version is currently blocked as a federal lawsuit makes its way through court. Georgia sent a proposal to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto last month.