Massachusetts House plans vote to ban social media use for children under 14

BY ELLA ADAMS

Stepping beyond the reach of a Senate-approved bill, the House plans to vote Wednesday on legislation prohibiting social media use for children under 14, requiring platforms to obtain parental consent for users ages 14 and 15, and banning students from using cellphones in schools. 

Under the bill, minors would be able to use social media without parental consent at the age of 16.

“This ban would be among the most restrictive in the entire country, helping to protect young people from harmful content and addictive algorithms that have a proven negative impact on their mental health,” House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement Monday.

The Senate last July passed a bill (S 2581) by a 38-2 vote that would ban cellphones for students throughout the school day. The bill did not extend to limits on social media usage. 

The House bill would require social media companies to implement an age verification system to determine whether a current or prospective user on its platform meets the age requirement, according to a bill summary. It would give parents of a minor user access to data submitted by the minor from the social media platforms.

The proposal would require the attorney general to create regulations to implement the social media policy no later than Sept. 1, 2026. The policy would go into effect on Oct. 1, 2026, according to the bill. 

Under the cellphone piece of the House proposal, school districts would need to establish a policy prohibiting “personal electronic device” use during the school day and during school-sponsored activities during the school day. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would have to provide districts with guidance, recommendations and a model policy to implement the restrictions, according to the summary.

The bill would also create a DESE-run pilot program for 10 districts “to provide for a technological means of rendering students’ personal electronic devices inoperable on school grounds during the school day,” according to the summary.

Gov. Maura Healey previewed in her State of the Commonwealth address in January legislation that would impose strict limits on social media companies that target children and teens, pointing to the risks of the platforms for younger users. Senate President Karen Spilka at the time said that Healey’s proposal aligns “wonderfully” with the cellphone ban bill and a data privacy bill also passed by the Senate this session. 

According to Mariano’s office, the House social media proposal was not in the Senate data or cellphone bills. House Ways and Means will poll the bill on Tuesday, Mariano’s office said. 

If the bill clears the House on Wednesday, as expected, the House and Senate will likely set up a six-person conference committee to draft and present consensus legislation for an up-or-down vote in the branches.