Texas is poised to enact one of the most restrictive but protective social media regulations in the U.S., with a proposed law that would bar anyone under 18 from holding an account on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or X. The legislation, currently advancing through the state legislature, would make Texas the second state to implement a full social media ban for minors, following a similar move by Arkansas.
The bill mandates that tech companies verify users’ ages and allow parents to request the deletion of their child’s account – a request platforms would be required to fulfill within 10 days. Failure to comply would be treated as a “deceptive trade practice,” opening companies to civil liability and legal consequences. Achieving this wound require sending the platforms the information necessary to verify identities, which can often be something that users are unwilling to openly share – especially parents.
This push for harder verification measures comes as the EU is also making efforts to achieve something similar, and may be the start of more states following suit in the future. Advocates of the measure argue that young users face disproportionate risks online, including exposure to misinformation, online predators, and algorithm-driven content that can exacerbate issues like anxiety and depression.
Critics of the bill, however, warn of constitutional and practical hurdles. Opponents argue that the measure could infringe on First Amendment rights and raise questions about how age verification would be enforced without compromising user privacy. It could also harm app owners and operators, something that Apple CEO Tim Cook raised with the Governor about the proposed law and is actively attempting to block alongside a number of other parties.
If signed into law, Texas’s regulation would mark a significant escalation in state-level efforts to regulate minors’ access to social platforms – potentially setting the stage for similar legislation across the country.
