SB 5708 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Protecting Washington children online.

Senate Bill 5708, titled "Protecting Washington children online," aims to enhance online safety and privacy for minors in Washington state. The bill requires businesses providing online services, products, or features likely to be accessed by minors to either estimate user age or apply minor-level privacy protections to all users. It prohibits these businesses from collecting, selling, sharing, or retaining personal information from minors under 13, with an exception for age verification. Data collected for age estimation must not be used for other purposes or retained longer than necessary.

Issues: ✓ Technology

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 12, 2026 Last action Feb 26, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Substitute Bill → Engrossed Substitute Bill · 7 edits · Mar 12, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from 'Substitute' to 'Engrossed' and expanded its scope to include a new section on creating a new chapter. The primary substantive change is that the bill's applicability was narrowed from covering all online services to specifically targeting only 'addictive internet-based services or applications' that use user-generated feeds. Consequently, many broad definitions and requirements regarding general online privacy were removed, while specific rules for addictive feeds, age estimation, and notification limits were retained and renumbered.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly narrowed from applying to all businesses providing online services likely to be accessed by minors to applying only to operators of 'addictive internet-based services or applications' that provide 'addictive feeds'.

SCOPE

The bill's applicability was restricted from general online services to specifically 'addictive internet-based services or applications' that recommend user-generated content.

DEFINITION

Broad definitions for 'Business', 'Dark pattern', and general 'Personal information' were removed as they no longer apply to the narrowed scope.

REQUIREMENT

General privacy requirements for all online services, such as default privacy settings and prohibitions on profiling, were removed.

A new requirement was added mandating that operators provide a mechanism for users to limit daily feed access time, hide likes, switch to non-recommended feeds, or set accounts to private.

TIMELINE

The effective date for notification restrictions was changed from 'Prior to January 1, 2026' to 'Commencing January 1, 2026' for users not reasonably determined to be minors.

FISCAL

A new section was added stating that if specific funding is not provided by June 30, 2025, the entire act becomes null and void.

ENFORCEMENT

The provision explicitly linking violations to the consumer protection act (Chapter 19.86 RCW) was removed.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 12, 2025

How they voted

38–12

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 51

Mar 12, 2025

D Democratic31

29 Yea 1 Nay 1

93% Yea

R Republican20

9 Yea 11 Nay

55% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jan 12, 2026

Introduced

By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

upper

Mar 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Floor amendment(s) adopted.

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 PM.

upper

Feb 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Committee

And refer to Ways & Means.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Minority; do not pass.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

BFT - Majority; do pass.

upper

Feb 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade at 8:00 AM.

upper

Feb 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade at 8:00 AM.

upper

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors