New Law Requires Parental Consent for Kids to Use Social Media

In a major step to protect kids online, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a law this week that requires children under the age of 18 to obtain parental consent before accessing social media platforms.

The Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) law, will require “digital service providers” to get permission from a parent or guardian before allowing a child to open an account.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation reported the list of harms children are exposed to and experience as a result of increased use of digital services is troubling and ever-growing—addiction, depression, loneliness, dissatisfaction with life, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, sex trafficking, cyberbullying, Child Sexual Abusive Material (CSAM), suicide.

Texas state representative Shelby Slawson wrote the law intending to protect kids from a system that makes children more susceptible to grooming and other harmful practices.

The bill also allows parents who grant consent to have full access to their child’s account. The service provider would only have to provide “a simple and easily accessible method for the parent to do so.