Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act of 2026
Latest action (4 Aug 2026): Introduced
What this bill does
Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act of 2026 (S. 5226) would require social media platforms to obtain verifiable parental consent before allowing a child—defined as anyone under 16—to create or keep an account. Once consent is granted, the child's account must be a "parent-supervised account," giving parents tools to manage privacy settings, set time limits, restrict direct messaging, control purchases, manage who can contact the child, and view the child's activity. Platforms must take reasonable steps to determine whether a user is a child and, if so, whether consent was obtained; any information collected for age or consent verification can't be used for other purposes and must be deleted when the child turns 16 or deletes the account. The Federal Trade Commission may issue implementing regulations.
The bill applies to commercial social media platforms as defined in the text, excluding email, text messaging, educational platforms, video conferencing, and services where social interaction is incidental (e.g., online gaming). It affects platform providers, parents/guardians, and children under 16. Enforcement would run through the FTC, treating violations as unfair or deceptive practices, with state attorneys general also authorized to bring civil actions, subject to FTC notice and intervention rights.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 4, 2026, by Sen. Ruben Gallego and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It has not yet been voted on by committee or the full Senate, and would need to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the President before taking effect.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
This bill is in the first stage of the legislative process. It was introduced into Congress on August 4, 2026. It will typically be considered by committee next before it is possibly sent on to the House or Senate as a whole.
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