Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) said in a Friday news conference that he will introduce legislation to the Virginia General Assembly to ban TikTok for minors, restrict other social media from gathering data about children, and expand state-funded mental health initiatives in public schools and colleges.
Youngkin revealed four new legislative efforts he intends to champion during the upcoming legislative session, after first calling for an additional $500 million to address youth mental health in a Friday press release.
“First, I’m announcing that I will introduce legislation to restrict youth access, those under 18, to TikTok,” said Youngkin at the press conference, noting that he banned TikTok on government devices in 2022. Calling TikTok “among the most aggressive and sophisticated in social media,” Youngkin promised the legislation will prevent the company from impacting the minds of the “next generation.”
The governor also said he will introduce legislation “to protect the privacy of all children under 18 years of age from social media companies by banning targeted advertising to children, selling children’s data, or creating a marketing profile of a child without parental consent” and require “verifiable parental consent” for a child to create a social media account.
The impact of Chinese Communist Party affiliated TikTok on our children’s mental health has been detrimental. That’s why we are introducing legislation to restrict access to TikTok for children under 18 in Virginia. pic.twitter.com/a2R0d5hvQk
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) December 15, 2023
The governor promised that more legislation will “ban social media companies from using addictive practices, designs or features, such as auto playing videos specifically designed to promote addiction,” and “give parents tools to implement guardrails on the hours for their minor child’s social media interaction.”
Youngkin then explained the additional $500 million he is requesting for mental health funding will go toward Virginia’s public schools.
“Inside our schools, we will expand eligibility for school based mental health services from 50,000 services to as many as 500,000 children.” Youngkin stated, “We will require school divisions to monitor student Internet use to disclose what activity is being tracked and attain parental consent, and notify parents when a safety alert is issue.”
He also intends to “expand the workforce” of mental health professionals “in schools and other community settings” and to fund “telebehavioral health for children in grades six through 12, with their parents permission, and also extending it into our public colleges and universities.”
Though Republicans lost control over the Virginia House of Delegates in the November elections, and Democrats introduced a partisan agenda that includes banning rifles and codifying abortion access, both Youngkin and Speaker-designee Don Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth) have both indicated there is room for bipartisan cooperation on mental health and education.
Earlier this month, Youngkin requested an additional $448 million to fund childcare and after school programs in Virginia, warning families will be left without options when dwindling pandemic-era federal funding is depleted.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
