Want to make a social media account? If you live in Utah, you soon may have to hand over your ID. Or maybe not.
The Utah Social Media Regulation Act, which was originally set to go into effect in March 2024, aims to restrict minors' access to social media and the kind of content they can encounter once online.
The law would require all social media users to verify their age through privacy-invading methods such as uploading their driver's license, submitting to a facial scan, or providing the last four digits of their Social Security number. Minors must also obtain parental permission before they can create a social media account. Once online, the law would force social media companies to restrict minors' ability to find new content and other accounts and to limit when they can message others on the platforms.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment nonprofit, launched a lawsuit challenging the law.
https://reason.com/2024/03/11/carded-for-posting-online/
The Utah Social Media Regulation Act, which was originally set to go into effect in March 2024, aims to restrict minors' access to social media and the kind of content they can encounter once online.
The law would require all social media users to verify their age through privacy-invading methods such as uploading their driver's license, submitting to a facial scan, or providing the last four digits of their Social Security number. Minors must also obtain parental permission before they can create a social media account. Once online, the law would force social media companies to restrict minors' ability to find new content and other accounts and to limit when they can message others on the platforms.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment nonprofit, launched a lawsuit challenging the law.
https://reason.com/2024/03/11/carded-for-posting-online/
