Georgia lawmakers have given final approval to Senate Bill 351, which would require children under 16 to have explicit parental permission to create social media accounts. The bill, which also bans social media use on school devices and internet services, mandates additional education on social media and internet use in schools, and requires porn sites to verify users are 18 or older, passed the House 120-45 and the Senate 48-7. State Rep. Scott Hilton argued that social media is causing harm to children, while Rep. David Wilkerson warned of potential issues with the bill, such as restricting teachers from showing educational YouTube videos. The bill would require social media services to use "commercially reasonable efforts" to verify someone's age by July 1, 2025, and treat anyone who can't be verified as a minor. Parents of children under 16 would have to consent to their children joining a service, and social media companies would be limited in how they could customize ads for children under 16 and how much information they could collect on them.

The bill also aims to shut down porn sites by requiring submission of government-issued identification, with fines of up to $10,000 for companies found liable for minors accessing the sites. Rep. Rick Jasperse believes age verification will lead porn sites to cut off access to Georgians. The ban on school social media excludes certain activities like email, news, gaming, and academic sites, and requires updated anti-bullying programs. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has warned that social media isn't proven to be safe for young people, calling for immediate action to protect kids. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced steps to verify ages and provide age-appropriate experiences for teens 13-17.

The bill has faced opposition from the Free Speech Coalition, which represents adult film makers, arguing it would be ineffective and unconstitutional, and has sued multiple states over similar laws. The coalition claims that users could mask their location and that the bill discriminates against certain types of speech. Despite the opposition, the bill now awaits Gov. Brian Kemp's signature or veto. If signed into law, Georgia would join other states like Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Utah in requiring parental consent for children to use social media. Florida recently passed a law banning social media accounts for children under 14 and requiring parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.