NetChoice, a “trade organization fighting to protect free expression and free enterprise online,” asked Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to veto a bill that would require minors to have parental consent before downloading social media applications.
The bill, filed as HB 1891 and called the “Protecting Children from Social Media Act,” passed the Tennessee General Assembly and was sent to the governor for final action last week.
“A social media company shall verify the age of an individual who attempts to become an account holder, at the time the individual attempts to become an account holder,” the bill’s text says.
NetChoice Respectfully Asks Gov. Lee to Veto Bill That Lets Down Tennessee Families & Children Online
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—NetChoice sent a letter to Gov. Bill Lee, respectfully requesting that he veto HB 1891. It undermines Tennesseans’ of all ages privacy, raises serious… pic.twitter.com/0UUIHHH43f
— NetChoice (@NetChoice) April 30, 2024
NetChoice argues the bill, if it were to become law, “undermines Tennesseans’ of all ages privacy, raises serious constitutional concerns, and ultimately will fail to help minors stay safe online.”
“Parents and guardians should determine their child’s online experience, just as they do with what schools they attend and what they have for dinner. HB 1891 would put big government in the driver’s seat of these decisions instead of parents,” NetChoice Vice President & General Counsel Carl Szabo said in a statement.
“HB 1891 would put Tennesseans’ privacy and data at risk, leaving them vulnerable to breaches and crime, while violating their First Amendment rights. Similar proposals are already being actively litigated in other states and held by the courts,” Szabo added.
NetChoice is one of the leading organizations representing social media companies in pushing back on state laws that seek to mandate parental consent for minors who want to download social media applications.
In Ohio, for example, NetChoice filed a lawsuit in January on behalf of social media companies Dreamwidth, Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, Pinterest, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, challenging the legality of the state’s Social Media Parental Notification Act.
The Ohio law, which requires certain online companies to “obtain verifiable parental consent to contractual terms of service before permitting kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms,” was supposed to take effect on January 15; however, a federal judge has since blocked it from being enforced.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Greed has no compassion.