Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act of 2026
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (4 Aug 2026): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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.
Timeline
4 Aug 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Common questions
- What does S. 5226 do?
- 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.
- Has S. 5226 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 5226. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 5226?
- S. 5226 was sponsored by Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), with 0 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on S. 5226?
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (4 Aug 2026).
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