Hansen, Michaelson Jenet Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Social Media Companies, Protect Children Online

Legislation would require social media companies to create policies that keep kids safe 

DENVER, CO – Senators Chris Hansen, D-Denver, and Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, recently introduced legislation aimed at keeping kids safe online.

SB24-158 would require social media companies to make their platforms safer for children and teens. This includes commonsense measures like requiring them to verify the age of users, defaulting to protective settings for kids, and providing easy-to-use parental tools to limit some risky or more addictive features. 

“As the parent of two teenagers, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact unfettered access to social media can have on our youth,” Hansen said. “Without laws forcing them to protect our kids, social media companies will continue to fall short. This bill will put critical guardrails around these companies, and make Colorado a national leader in the fight to create a safer and healthier online environment for our kids.”

“Unregulated social media platforms have wreaked havoc on our kids’ mental health while making it dangerously easy for predatory adults to target Colorado children and teens for sexual exploitation - and it’s only getting worse,” said Michaelson Jenet. “It’s far past time we stand up and say enough is enough. I am proud to champion this legislation that will better protect our kids and address the toxic role social media platforms play in young people’s lives.”

SB24-158 would improve content moderation by requiring social media companies to publicly post the process for flagging content and their process for responding to user flags, as well as contact information for policy inquiries. It would also require companies to post a statement that various forms of illegal activity are prohibited and that violations will be reported to law enforcement. 

Further, social media companies would also have to comply with law enforcement inquiries on specified timetables, and provide data to the Colorado Attorney General on how the platforms are being used by kids and how companies are complying with the safeguards created in this bill. 

SB24-158 will be heard by the Senate Business, Labor & Technology Committee in the coming weeks. You can follow the bill’s progress HERE.