Skinner bill to protect minors from social media passes out of Senate

A landmark bill to protect children from social media by Sen. Nancy Skinner has passed out of the state Senate and is headed to the Assembly.

SB 976 by the Berkeley Democrat, known as the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, proposes a first-of-its-kind law that would prohibit online platforms from serving up addictive social media feeds to minors without the consent of their guardian. The bill passed out of the Senate this week on a bipartisan vote, 35-2.

“Social media companies have designed their platforms to addict users, especially our kids,” Skinner said in a press release announcing the bill’s passage. “Studies show that once a young person has a social media addiction, they experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. But social media companies have been unwilling to voluntarily change their practices. With SB 976, the state Senate has sent a clear message: When social media companies won’t act, it’s our responsibility to protect our children.”

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