Pennsylvania Social Media Bill Faces Legal Challenges, Mirroring Controversial State LawsGroupLayout:

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed a bill aimed at regulating the interactions between online social media platforms and children, however, its provisions are similar to those currently facing legal challenges in federal courts and before the US Supreme Court in other states. The bill, known as House Bill 2017, passed with bipartisan support in a near-party line vote of 105-95, with ten Republican representatives joining most Democrats in favor and seven Democrats opposing it alongside the majority party. The proposed legislation requires social media platforms to enable users to report instances of “hateful conduct”, such as intimidation or harassment, and disclose their response policies. It also mandates parental approval for users under the age of eighteen, while prohibiting these platforms from extracting personal data from individuals under eighteen years old. The Computer and Communications Industry Association, which encompasses major tech corporations including Google and Meta (the owners of YouTube and Facebook/Instagram, respectively), expressed concerns about potential limitations on freedom of speech and privacy issues related to verifying a user’s identity and parental relationships. Previous efforts to establish age restrictions for social media usage in other states, including Utah and California, have faced legal challenges from industry groups like NetChoice. Last year, the Arkansas and California legislatures passed bills requiring parental consent for minors to create social media profiles, while Florida and Texas attempted to restrict social media platforms’ censorship practices. These laws have been temporarily suspended by federal judges due to legal disputes. Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court heard arguments relating to legal challenges against social media legislation in Florida and Texas, which aim to prevent platforms from suppressing users based on their views. However, the specifics of these measures differ.