The state of Utah on Thursday became the first in the country to prohibit minors from creating accounts on social networks without the prior consent of their parents or guardians.
Two laws signed on Thursday by the Republican governor of the territory, Spencer Cox, also introduce restrictions on the use by minors of these platforms, such as a digital "curfew" that prevents users from accessing their accounts between 22.30 and 06.30 unless an adult allows it, collects the media The Hill.
The rules won't take effect until March 2024, but the governor said he will use this time to work with social media companies to fine-tune the details of their implementation.
"Utah is setting the course for holding social media companies accountable — and we're not going to slacken anytime soon," Cox said on Twitter in announcing the signing of the measures.
The second law prohibits these companies from using "designs or features" that may cause addiction among minors. It also makes it easier for people to report these companies, Cox explained.
The promoters of the legislation explained in an interview on the NBC network that their motivation to adopt these measures lies in the problems that, in their opinion, social networks cause in the mental health of children.
According to a survey conducted by Common Sense Media in the US, in 2016 half of 12-year-olds had an account on at least one social network, a figure that fell to one in four for children between 8 and 12 years old.
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