Submitted by the Office of Senator Randy Maxwell
As social media grows in popularity each year, big tech companies continue to profit off children who are addicted to their platforms. This increase in online activity among our young people can lead to mental health issues and puts them at risk of interacting with dangerous predators.
That’s why I supported a new law to protect young Hoosiers from the dangers of the addictive and unrestricted features social media platforms use.
House Enrolled Act 1408 requires children under 16 to get parental approval before they can create a social media account. If a parent allows their child to open a social media account, certain addictive features will be disabled and additional safety features will be required.
These include:
- Disabling “like” counts;
- Preventing the account from being searched for by anyone who is not their friend;
- Only allowing friends to send messages to the account; and
- Prohibiting the site from using the child’s social media history and habits to determine the content they see.
This legislation is just one of many ways we are working to keep Hoosier children safe, whether that’s at school, at home, online or anywhere else.
