A Texas bill that seeks to ban minors under 18 years old from accessing social media failed on Thursday after state lawmakers failed to meet a key deadline over the weekend.
Officials did not take a key vote on creating one of the country's most onerous restrictions on keeping minors off of social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. The bill had passed the GOP-led state House, but it planned to go further than a social media platform in Florida that implements restrictions on minors under 14 years.
Texas Bill Seeks To Ban Social Media for Minors
Despite the initial momentum behind the bill, it slowed down at the eleventh hour in the Texas Senate as lawmakers approached a weekend deadline to send bills to state Governor Greg Abbott. The latter had not discussed his stance on the bill, which had received opposition from tech trade groups and critics.
State Rep. Jared Patterson said that the bill was the best way they could protect children in Texas from the dangers of social media platforms. The situation comes as the legislative session is set to end on Monday, according to NBCDFW.
This means that lawmakers have a narrow path for the proposal, which, if it passes, would become another test of state efforts in setting boundaries on how and when minors can access social media platforms.
The bill comes as many tech companies, including Elon Musk's X, have already established a presence in the state of Texas. Gov. Abbott signed into law earlier this week a separate measure that required Apple and Google to verify the ages of their online app store users.
The latest proposal is considered the most far-reaching of the bills filed to address the dangers of online platforms. It would ban minors from creating accounts on social media sites, the Texas Tribune reported.
Failing To Meet Key Deadline
Additionally, the bill allows parents to request that tech companies delete their children's social media accounts, which companies must comply with within 10 days. The development comes as a surprise to proponents of the bill, as lawmakers have prioritized regulating social media sites during the current legislative session.
Despite its support from Republican lawmakers, the bill received criticism from civil liberties groups and tech advocates. They argued that it violates the First Amendment and will only result in major privacy concerns.
Opposition to the bill includes Ari Cohn, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He noted that the legislation tramples on the "well-established First Amendment rights of both minors and adults to speak and receive information online," according to Houston Public Media.
