SB 1298 requires Texas public school districts (K-12) to include online safety instruction as part of their required curriculum, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The curriculum must cover specific topics like safe social media use, preventing oversharing of personal information, identifying cyberbullying and online predators, and reporting suspicious activity. Additionally, the Texas Department of Public Safety must develop a public safety education plan that includes online safety instruction for citizens under 18. The bill specifies these exact topics for school curricula and references existing law for further detail.
HB 921 allows social media users to sue platforms for prohibited censorship and seek specific statutory damages. If a platform violates the law by censoring a user's content, the user can recover between $750 and $30,000 per violation, plus declaratory relief, injunctive relief, and attorney fees. The bill explicitly states that certain other legal provisions (Sections 41.003 and 41.004) do not apply to these lawsuits. This law applies only to cases filed on or after September 1, 2025, and does not affect cases that accrued before that date.
HB 2173 requires social media platforms operating in Texas to display a warning label on their landing page each time a user opens the platform. The label must address the association between minors' social media use and significant mental health issues. The executive commissioner will establish the label's specific content and format by January 2026, with platforms required to comply starting March 2026. This law directly affects social media platforms serving Texas users, not individual minors or parents. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.
SB 2152 requires social media platforms in Texas to create and provide real-time tools (APIs) allowing parents or guardians to delegate management of a child's account to third-party software providers. This directly affects minors using social media and their parents/guardians, enabling them to manage the child's online activity, content, and account settings through approved third-party tools. The bill mandates that platforms offer these management capabilities on the same terms as the child's own account access. It takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies to all social media platforms operating in Texas.
HB 4189 requires Texas internet service providers (ISPs) to offer customers a free, optional content filter that blocks access to explicit material defined as visual depictions of sexual conduct or intimate body parts. The filter must prevent customers from accessing such material when enabled and notify them when blocking occurs. It directly affects all Texas customers who subscribe to internet service, giving them the choice to activate the filter at no additional cost. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and does not mandate filters but requires ISPs to make them available.
HB 4298 requires electronic device manufacturers selling in Texas to automatically enable filters on devices activated in the state. The filters must block minors (under 18) from accessing explicit content - including images of intimate parts, sexual conduct, or simulated sexual material - via mobile data, internet, or manufacturer apps. Users must be notified when content is blocked, and parents/guardians can bypass the filter with a password. Manufacturers who fail to comply face civil penalties, directly affecting device sellers and minor users in Texas.
HB 4976 requires digital service providers (like social media platforms) operating in Texas to verify the age of users before creating accounts. Specifically, providers must collect a user’s age during sign-up and verify it using reliable methods for anyone 18 or older. Users under 18 are treated as minors until they turn 18 and their age is verified. The law applies only to new accounts created on or after September 1, 2025, and does not affect existing accounts. It directly impacts digital platforms serving Texas residents.
HB 4456 requires social media platforms to verify the age of Texas residents before they can create new accounts. Platforms must use reasonable methods (like public or private data) to confirm users are 18+ and cannot retain or misuse the personal information collected during verification. Parents or guardians can request deletion of a minor’s account within 10 days, and platforms must comply. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, applying only to new accounts created after that date, with violations treated as deceptive trade practices under Texas law.
SB 2638 prohibits using automated social media accounts (bots) to deceive people into commercial transactions or influence elections when the bot's identity is hidden. Businesses and election actors would be barred from misleading users about bot activity during sales or campaign efforts, unless they clearly disclose the account is automated. Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $8,000 per incident, enforced by the Attorney General. The law applies to deceptive practices in both commercial and election contexts, with disclosure as a legal exception. It takes effect September 1, 2025.
SB 2682 creates a new civil cause of action for victims of online impersonation in Texas. It defines online impersonation as using someone's name, voice, photo, or likeness on social media without consent (or parental consent for minors) to create a false identity with intent to harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten. Victims can seek actual damages for related costs (like counseling or identity theft recovery), at least $500 in punitive damages, and court-ordered injunctions to stop the impersonation. The law excludes satire, parody, and law enforcement activities from liability.
