An impetus for Texas to stop social media accounts for children under 18 faded on Thursday as lawmakers did not receive a major vote to create one of the most difficult restrictions of the country aimed at keeping minors outside platforms such as Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram.
The draft law, which already approved the GOP-controlled state home, aims to go further than a social media ban in Florida for under 14 years of age.
Australia banned social media accounts for anyone under 16.
But the early moment after the mass in Texas slowed down at the eleventh hour in the Senate of the State while lawmakers face a weekend to send bills to Republican governor Greg Abbott.
Abbott has not publicly said whether he supported the proposed ban, which was opposed by technology trade groups and critics who called it an unconstitutional limit in the free speech.
“This bill was the best way to protect the children in this country,” said Rep. Jared Patterson, a Republican who was holding the mass.
The legislative session ends on Monday. This leaves a path of narrowing for the proposal that, if passed, would create another proof of state efforts to establish boundaries on how and when children can enter social media.
Many technology companies have created a presence in Texas, including X, which is owned by Elon Musk.
Earlier this week, Abbott signed in law a special measure required by Apple and Google to verify the age of online store users, as well as the consent of parents to download apps and make within 18 years of apps.
Jeta passed a similar draft law earlier this year.
The proposed Texas detention aimed at the juvenile is the last measure in a growing two -way incremental push across the country to address social media impacts on child well -being.
Critics accuse the platforms of using addictive functions to seduce children on their site and keep them there, and not to do enough to curb violent or unsuitable content for age, or online abuse.
Nearly half of American teens say they are online “constantly”, despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health, according to a December 2024 report published by the Pew Research Center.
The American Psychological Association has called on technology companies and lawmakers to protect children’s mental health, arguing that social media platforms are “particularly dangerous” for young people who cannot break away from countries and fight impulse control.
States and countries have passed various measures to address the problem, and some have gone into legal challenges.
A federal judge in 2024 temporarily blocked the first law in place of UTAH, asking social media companies to control the ages of all users and impose restrictions on the accounts belonging to minors.
California, who is home to some of the world’s largest technology companies, will make it illegal for social media platforms to consciously provide addictive resources for children without the consent of parents starting in 2027.
And the New York State allows parents to block their children to receive posts on social media suggested by the algorithm of a platform.
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