Sponsors (2)
Official title: To prohibit users who are under age 13 from accessing social media platforms, to prohibit the use of personalized recommendation systems on individuals under age 17, and limit the use of social media in schools.
Introduced February 9, 2026 by Anna Luna · Last progress February 9, 2026
The bill increases protections and parental control over children’s online experiences and pushes schools to block social media during class, but does so at the cost of compliance and administrative burdens, potential service restrictions for teens, uneven coverage across apps, and legal uncertainty between states and federal enforcement.
Children under 13 and teens: blocked from creating/maintaining accounts (under-13) and subject to strict limits on personalized recommendation systems, reducing exposure to targeted recommendations and potentially harmful content.
Parents and families of affected children: gain clearer control over kids' data because platforms must delete data for terminated child accounts and provide data portability in readable and machine‑readable formats for a set period.
Consumers and regulators: the Federal Trade Commission (with state attorneys general able to sue) is given explicit enforcement authority, increasing oversight options against noncompliant platforms.
Teens and platform users: platforms may disable or restrict features for users near age thresholds to avoid liability, reducing available services and social features for many adolescents.
Social media platforms and advertisers (and ultimately users/taxpayers): firms will face technical and operational compliance costs to remove child accounts, implement deletion/portability, and modify recommendation systems, which could be passed on to users or advertisers.
Schools, districts, and low-income students: districts must buy or implement filtering technology, meet administrative deadlines, and risk losing E-rate discounts or having to reimburse funds if they fail to comply, which could reduce internet funding for students.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits algorithmic personalized recommendations for children under 13 on covered social platforms and ties E‑rate discounts to schools' certification of blocking those platforms on school networks/devices.
Stops social media platforms from using automated, personalized recommendation systems for children under 13 and requires K–12 schools that receive E‑rate discounts to certify they block student access to defined social media platforms on school networks and devices. Directs the FCC to amend its rules, creates certification and enforcement procedures for schools, and includes technical definitions and a savings clause so other provisions survive if one is invalidated.