Georgia lawmakers look for ways keep social media from harming children

"But the industry sued and, for now, has sidelined the prohibition on advertising to children. The law also required platforms to obtain parental consent when minors signup for service. The age verification mandate forces everyone to share identifying information to prove their age, placing what a federal judge called "severe burdens" on adults, leading to her decision in June to issue a preliminary injunction against enforcement."

"Georgia lawmakers have not given up. They have been meeting over the summer to consider other ways to rein in social media. "I don't think we can wait for the federal government to do this for us," said Sen. Sally Harrell, D-Atlanta, who has been leading a study committee looking for another approach. "So, we're going to do it." The industry has made itself a target for lawmakers across the political spectrum."

"The state law that was sidelined in federal court was a top priority for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, the Republican who leads the GOP-dominated Senate and, like Carr, is running for governor in next year's GOP primary. Jones and his allies picked Democrat Harrell to lead the bipartisan study committee on the impact of social media on children. She and fellow senators recently heard from parents whose children had died by suicide after social media exposure."

Georgia enacted bipartisan legislation regulating social media to protect children by banning targeted advertising to minors, requiring parental consent at signup, and mandating age verification. The industry sued, temporarily sidelining the ban on advertising to children. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in June against enforcement of the age-verification mandate, finding the requirement imposed "severe burdens" on adults who would need to share identifying information. Georgia's attorney general appealed and is assisting defense of similar laws in Texas, Florida, and Ohio. State lawmakers continue bipartisan study and meetings to pursue alternative regulatory approaches.

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