New Idaho Law mandates parental consent and age verification for social media
Seth Ratliff
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — A new law intends to regulate and limit social media use for Idaho minors, but critics warn the state could be walking into a lawsuit.
On April 2nd, Governor Brad Little officially signed House Bill 542, the Stop Addictive Social Media Act, into law. The legislation aims to curb the influence of social media on Idaho’s youth by mandating age verification and stripping platforms of features the bill’s sponsors deem “addictive.”
New Restrictions for Minors
Under the new law, social media companies are mandated to verify the age of all users within state lines. For Idahoans under the age of 16, platforms must obtain “verifiable parental consent” before granting access. Even with parental permission, restrictions will still be in place.
Under the new law, social media companies must verify the age of every user in the state. For users under the age of 16, platforms must obtain “verifiable parental consent” before granting access.
Even with a parent’s permission, the experience for minors will change; platforms must disable or limit “addictive” features such as auto-play videos and infinite scrolling for younger users.
The bill’s sponsors framed the legislation as a necessary intervention against the destructive and addictive influence of social media on children.
“We were never faced with this type of addiction before. Social media companies, admittedly, have intentionally made their platforms addictive,” said Senate sponsor Cindy Carlson. “Why protect kids when they can make so much money off of them? It is pure evil they have been unwilling to self-regulate. An addictive user is a profitable user.”
A Unique Approach to Age Verification
Utah was the first state in the nation to enact such social media mandates, followed by 11 other states since 2023. What sets Idaho’s law apart from similar mandates is its unique approach to age verification. Rep. Crane argues that interest-based verification is more effective than traditional methods.
“What you can’t lie about is your interest,” Crane said, noting that the browsing habits of a 16-year-old differ significantly from those of a 26-year-old.
Legal Hurdles and Industry Pushback
The bill passed the Idaho House following Senate amendments, despite apparent lobbying from tech giants.
The Idaho Statesman reports that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, sent a letter to Governor Little urging him not to sign the “Stop Harms from Addictive Social Media Act.” In the letter, Dan Sachs, vice president of state and local policy at Meta, argued that the policy was unfair to larger social media platforms and “would not accomplish the Idaho Legislature’s goal of reducing childhood social media dependency.”
Social media companies have long argued that state-specific requirements create too many technical and legal challenges.
History suggests Idaho may face an uphill battle in court. Utah’s original 2023 law was repealed and replaced after social media companies filed a lawsuit citing free-speech violations. The replacement legislation was subsequently blocked by a federal judge in September 2024.
Senator Camille Blaylock warned her colleagues that, despite her desire to support the bill, Idaho is likely walking into a lawsuit.
“There was a request to postpone the start date on this six months. It was suggested that maybe that was because these companies wanted to get their court case ready,” Senator Camille Blaylock told lawmakers. “After seeing that every state that has implemented something like this has been taken to court, and the ones that have been resolved to have lost, I think that’s probably spot on.”
The mandate applies only within Idaho’s borders, using location data to trigger the restrictions. The Stop Addictive Social Media Act is expected to take effect on July 1, pending any potential legal challenges.