New Utah Law Requires Parental Consent for Child Social Media Use

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Image copyright: AP [via Daily Mail]

The Facts

  • Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a law on Thursday requiring anyone under 18 to have parental consent for the use of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as prohibiting these companies from employing techniques to cause minors to develop an "addiction" to the platforms.

  • Cox said via Twitter that it was his responsibility to protect Utah's children from these "toxic" platforms, adding: "Youth rates of depression and other mental health issues are on the rise because of social media companies."

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The Spin

Democratic narrative

This is simply the next step in the far-right's attempt to rescind American civil liberties. Despite rights groups pointing out this fact, GOP lawmakers, and the parents who vote them in, want full control over America's youth so they can spy on and prevent them from accessing the digital world. This could backfire in the long run, as these children will likely remember what their parents voted for.

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Republican narrative

Democrats care more about having "swag" on TikTok than they do about protecting children from the undeniable harm caused by social media. The risks posed to our kids have been known about for a long time, but the left wants young people to remain glued to their screens so that they are raised by the internet rather than their parents. This is about the rights of American children as well as their parents.

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