The proposed law would ban anyone under 18 from creating social media accounts and force all users to verify their age.
Parents could even request platforms delete their child’s account.
If not done within 10 days, the platforms could face lawsuits and fines.
What’s The Reason?
Supporters say it’s about protecting teens from the mental health toll of endless doom scrolling.
The bill has already cleared the Texas House and is racing toward a Senate vote before the June 2 deadline.
If passed, it takes effect this September, with penalties starting in 2026.
This isn’t Texas’ first attempt to rein in Big Tech.
A 2023 law called the SCOPE Act restricted data collection on minors but quickly hit legal roadblocks.
Could this new bill suffer the same fate?
“It’s likely,” says University of Houston professor Brandon Rottinghaus.
“The Supreme Court has ruled against mandatory age checks before—but political winds are shifting toward parental control.”
Social media giants may push back hard, but Rottinghaus warns, “They ultimately may have no choice.”
One thing’s clear: the battle over your screen time is far from over.
