Tennessee gov signs bill requiring parental consent for child's social media use

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill requiring social media companies to verify the age of their account holders and force minors to get parental permission has been signed by Gov. Bill Lee.

HB1891/SB2097 is otherwise known as the Protecting Children from Social Media Act. Under the bill, anyone under the age of 18 would need consent by a parent or guardian to sign up for a social media account.

The bill puts social media companies on notice and applies to both current and future account holders.

For minors who already have an account, companies will have to verify parental consent or the minor would not be able to access a current account.

In addition to parental consent, the platforms have to provide parents with a way to supervise the account.

If companies don't comply, they open themselves up to a lawsuit by Tennessee's attorney general.

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