HB 271: "An Act relating to social media and minors; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 271 01 "An Act relating to social media and minors; and providing for an effective date." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 45.50 is amended by adding new sections to read: 04 Article 5A. Social Media Platforms and Minors. 05 Sec. 45.50.650. User age verification and parental consent. (a) A social 06 media platform may not allow a minor who is a resident of the state to create or 07 maintain an account on the platform without first obtaining written consent for the 08 minor to create and maintain the account from the minor's parent or another person 09 who has legal custody of the minor. When obtaining written consent for a minor to 10 create or maintain an account, the social media platform shall verify the identity of the 11 person consenting and the relationship of the consenting person to the minor. 12 (b) A social media platform shall verify the age of each user of the platform in 13 the state. 14 (c) A social media platform shall provide a mechanism for a consenting parent 15 to
01 (1) revoke consent for a minor user to create and maintain an account 02 at any time; and 03 (2) delete the minor user's account and all associated data. 04 Sec. 45.50.660. Parental access to minor user's account. (a) A social media 05 platform shall provide a consenting parent with full access to the minor user's account, 06 including all of the minor user's posts, messages, comments, likes, shares, and other 07 interactions on the platform. 08 (b) A social media platform may not restrict, limit, or interfere with a 09 consenting parent's ability to monitor, modify, or delete any content or activity on the 10 minor user's account. 11 (c) A social media platform shall notify a minor user when the minor's 12 consenting parent accesses the minor user's account or makes any changes to the 13 account settings or preferences. 14 Sec. 45.50.670. Advertising to minor users prohibited. A social media 15 platform may not display, send, or target an advertisement to a minor user or use data 16 collected from a minor user for an advertising purpose. 17 Sec. 45.50.680. Content targeting minor users prohibited. A social media 18 platform may not use an algorithm, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or other 19 technology to select, recommend, rank, or personalize content for a minor user based 20 on the minor user's profile, preferences, behavior, location, or other data. 21 Sec. 45.50.690. Addictive features for minor users prohibited. A social 22 media platform may not employ a feature, design, or mechanism that encourages or 23 rewards a minor user's excessive or compulsive use of the platform or that exploits the 24 psychological vulnerabilities of a minor user. 25 Sec. 45.50.700. Curfew for minor users. A social media platform may not 26 allow a minor user to access or use the platform between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. in 27 the time zone where the user is accessing or using the platform unless the consenting 28 parent modifies these hours in the account settings. 29 Sec. 45.50.710. Enforcement and penalties. (a) If a social media platform 30 violates AS 45.50.650 - 45.50.740, the attorney general may bring an action in 31 superior court to seek injunctive relief, civil penalties, or other appropriate remedies.
01 (b) A social media platform that violates AS 45.50.650 - 45.50.740 is subject 02 to a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation. 03 Sec. 45.50.720. Private right of action. If a social media platform violates 04 AS 45.50.650 - 45.50.740, a parent or other person with legal custody of a minor user 05 who is harmed by the violation may bring an action against the platform in superior 06 court to seek actual damages, punitive damages, attorney fees, and costs. 07 Sec. 45.50.730. Definitions. In AS 45.50.650 - 45.50.740, 08 (1) "consenting parent" means a parent or other person who has legal 09 custody of a minor who has consented to the minor's use of a social media platform; 10 (2) "minor" means a person under 18 years of age; 11 (3) "minor user" means a resident of the state under 18 years of age 12 who accesses or uses a social media platform; 13 (4) "social media platform" means an online service, application, or 14 Internet website that allows users to create, share, or view user-generated content, 15 including text, images, videos, or audio; 16 (5) "user" means a person who accesses or uses a social media 17 platform. 18 Sec. 45.50.740. Short title. AS 45.50.650 - 45.50.740 may be known as the 19 Alaska Social Media Regulation Act. 20 * Sec. 2. This Act takes effect January 1, 2025.