Four things to know about Minnesota's proposed social media law

Sarah Nelson, Star Tribune on May 24, 2026

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A bill awaiting Gov. Tim Walz’s signature would require children 15 and younger to get parental consent to have social media accounts while limiting “addictive” features.

The proposed law makes Minnesota part of a growing number of states seeking more regulation over how young people use social media. Last year, 45 states and Puerto Rico introduced bills or resolutions related to youth and social media. But enforcing, or even enacting, such laws has proven to be difficult.

Here’s what to know about the bill and how similar laws have played out elsewhere:

The proposed legislation requires parental consent for Minnesota kids under 16 to have a social media account. The bill also limits “addictive” features on such apps, including infinite scrolling and automatic video replay.

If signed into law, it would go into effect in July 2027.

Advocates say social media sites can enable cyberbullying and crime while increasing the risk of “sextortion” and teen suicide.

The bill passed with bipartisan support, though its fate is unclear. A spokesperson for Walz recently said the governor was still reviewing details of the bill.

Privacy advocates and Big Tech largely say age verification laws limit free speech and access to information online. They also argue that, though the law may intend to reduce the amount of data collected about children, it could require companies to gather more personal data in order to verify users’ eligibility.

“Parents — not the government — should determine what is right for their families,” Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, said in a statement last year.

According to the Age Verification Providers Association, litigation has overwhelmingly left age verification laws in legal limbo after challenges were brought by Big Tech.

Recently, NetChoice — a trade group representing social media companies TikTok and Meta — sued Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers over a social media age verification law set to go into effect in July, according to Nebraska Public Radio.

A federal judge in Louisiana late last year permanently struck down the state’s age verification law, calling the legislation unconstitutionally vague, NOLA.com reported.

Similarly, a judge in Arkansas last year issued a permanent injunction against Arkansas’ age-verification law. In an attempt to salvage the bill, Arkansas lawmakers approved amendments to the proposed legislation, but NetChoice challenged the law again, calling the amendments a “cosmetic update by the state to revamp a censorship provision already declared unconstitutional.”

Federal appellate courts have handed some states temporary victories in their legal battles to enforce age verification laws. An appeals court last year allowed Florida and Mississippi to enforce their social media laws while lawsuits continue.

NetChoice asked Walz to veto Minnesota’s proposed legislation in a letter last week.

If Walz does not sign the bill by June 2, it will receive a pocket veto and won’t become law. The governor has vetoed only one bill during his two terms, according to the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.

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