This bill establishes the "Regulating Access to Social Media Companies by Minors Act" to restrict how minors can use social media platforms in Michigan. It prohibits companies from allowing individuals under 16 to access or create accounts on these platforms and requires written parental consent for users aged 16 to 17. The law defines social media platforms as websites or apps where users generate their own content to communicate with others, while excluding services like email or those with preselected content. Enforcement is handled by the state attorney general, who can impose a daily civil fine of $25,000 for each day a company fails to comply with these age restrictions.
HB 5357, the "Age-Appropriate Design Code Act," requires businesses meeting specific thresholds (e.g., $25 million+ annual revenue or handling data of 50,000+ consumers) to design online services, products, or features accessed by known minors (under 18) with privacy and safety as defaults. It prohibits "dark patterns" that manipulate user choices, bans collecting precise geolocation data without consent, and mandates age-appropriate settings for minors. The law applies to businesses operating in Michigan that process personal information of minors, creating civil penalties for violations. It establishes a fund to support enforcement and defines key terms like "known minor" and "business" to clarify compliance requirements.
SB 757, the "Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act," prohibits social media platforms from showing users under 18 an "addictive feed" (content recommended based on their data) without parental consent or verified knowledge the user is not a minor. It directly affects social media companies operating platforms with addictive feeds as a core feature, requiring them to obtain verifiable parental consent for minors or confirm non-minor status. Key provisions include banning notifications about addictive feeds to minors between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and during weekday school hours, restricting how age data is used, and imposing $5,000 fines per violation for noncompliance. The bill focuses on restricting algorithmic content delivery to minors, not banning social media use.
SB 758, the "Kids Code Act," establishes new rules for online platforms to protect children's safety and privacy. It prohibits major online services (with $25M+ annual revenue or 50k+ Michigan users) from using addictive design features like infinite scroll, auto-playing videos, or gamification that encourage excessive use by minors. The law requires platforms to verify a user's age when they have actual knowledge they are under 13 and restricts how they collect biometric data or use "dark patterns" that manipulate children. It directly affects large social media and app companies operating in Michigan with significant child users, while excluding platforms where over 98% of users are adults.
This bill requires websites offering adult content to verify users are 18+ before access. Commercial entities must use ID checks or approved systems to confirm age for sites with over 33% adult content, while others must block minors and display disclaimers. News organizations and internet service providers are exempt from these requirements. Violations can result in civil penalties up to $10,000 per incident, enforced by the Attorney General's office after a 45-day correction period.
SB 190, the "Social Media Children Protection Act," requires social media companies to verify the age of Michigan residents applying for accounts and obtain parental consent if the user is under 16. It mandates that companies provide parents with tools to supervise minors' accounts, including viewing privacy settings and setting daily time limits. Social media companies face civil fines up to $25,000 per violation for non-compliance, and contracts with clauses waiving these protections are void. The law applies to all social media platforms operating in Michigan, directly affecting minors under 16, their parents, and the companies providing those services.
Senate Bill 284, the "digital age assurance act," aims to protect minors by regulating online content and requiring age verification. It mandates that device manufacturers, operating systems, and app stores estimate a user's age and provide a digital age signal to websites and online services. Websites and applications that offer mature content must then use these signals to block access for individuals under 18 or provide disclaimers and parental supervision tools. The bill also requires application stores to obtain parental consent for users under 16 to download apps and offers options for parental supervision tools. The Michigan Department of the Attorney General is responsible for enforcing this act.
HB 4429, the "Digital Age Assurance Act," requires device makers, operating systems, and app stores to verify user age and restrict access to mature content (sexually explicit material defined under federal law) for minors. It mandates that companies block mature content for users under 18, obtain parental consent for users under 16 before app downloads, and provide parental control tools for managing minors' online activity. Online services must also block mature content when they know a user is under 18 and display disclaimers for non-mature content. The Attorney General enforces the law, allowing 45 days to fix violations before imposing civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.
HB 4388, the "Social Media Regulation Act," requires social media companies with at least 5 million global users to verify the age of Michigan residents applying for accounts and obtain explicit parental consent if the applicant is under 18. It directly affects minors in Michigan and major social media platforms, prohibiting account creation without age verification or parental consent for minors. The law excludes non-social media services like email, direct messaging, news sites, e-commerce, and school-specific platforms (e.g., learning management systems) from its requirements. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment, mandating social media companies to deny applications that fail these verification steps.
