IdahoLarge social media platforms would add safeguards for children
Starting July 1, 2026, large social media platforms would estimate users’ ages and add parental-consent, privacy, feature, and enforcement rules for children.
What it does
Large platforms would estimate Idaho users’ ages after set amounts of use and generally treat users as children unless the platform reaches the required confidence level.
Parents would need to consent to children’s accounts, which would use the strongest privacy settings and exclude addictive features and personalized paid ads.
Children and parents would receive account-deletion tools and legal remedies, while platforms could face damages and attorney general action for knowing or reckless violations.
Argument forChildren and parents could gain stronger privacy settings, time controls, and limits on addictive features and personalized advertising.
Argument againstAge estimates and required account reviews could lead to mistaken child classifications, account terminations, or collection of sensitive information during verification.
More detail
Covered social media platforms would estimate users' ages and treat users as children unless they meet stated confidence standards. This applies to Idaho account holders on platforms with at least $1 billion in worldwide advertising revenue in one of the prior three years. Platforms would make the first estimate after an account holder reaches 25 cumulative hours of use within six months. Platforms would revise the estimate after 50 cumulative hours and update it after each additional 100 hours or certain other data-analytics updates, whichever comes sooner. Platforms would not have to estimate age for accounts continuously held for at least seven years. The rules would not require platforms to request, collect, or keep new information; estimates would use information already collected during ordinary operations. The first two estimates would be due within 14 days after the respective use triggers. Later updates would follow the additional-use or data-analytics triggers after July 1, 2026.
Covered social media platforms would require parental consent for children’s accounts, protect those accounts by default, and remove certain features and advertisements. The rules cover Idaho residents age 16 or younger and minors with accounts on covered platforms. Applicants would provide a birth date, and platforms would obtain documented verifiable parental consent before creating or changing a child’s account. Child accounts would begin with the strongest privacy settings, and platforms could not change them without parental consent while the user remains a child. Platforms would offer parents a way to monitor use and set time or access limits as a condition of consent. Platforms would not show addictive interface features or profile-based paid advertising to children. These requirements would apply when an account is created, changed, classified as belonging to a child, or used after the act takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Platforms would have to provide account termination options and could face private lawsuits, statutory damages, and attorney general enforcement for knowing or reckless violations. Children, minors, parents, and covered social media platforms are covered; private claims could seek damages, court costs, attorney fees, and other relief. A minor could request termination, and a parent could request termination after the platform verifies the parent’s relationship. If a platform plans to terminate an account because it classified the user as a child without parental consent, it would have to give notice and an opportunity to dispute the classification or provide consent. A platform using reasonable means and efforts, considering available technology and information it has, would not be liable for a violation. Knowing or reckless violations could support actual or statutory damages, and a consistent pattern could support punitive damages. Waivers of these rights or requirements would be void. Platforms would have seven days to act on a minor’s termination request and 14 days to act on a verified parent’s request. A civil damages claim would generally need to be filed within three years after the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known of the violation.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 2Reported Signed by Governor Brad Little on April 2, 2026 Session Law Chapter 268 Effective: 07/01/2026Became Law
- Mar 27Delivered to Governor at 12:01 p.m. on March 27, 2026To Governor
- Mar 27Returned Signed by the President; Ordered Transmitted to GovernorMinor
- Mar 26Signed by President; returned to HouseMajor
- Mar 26Received from the House enrolled/signed by SpeakerMajor
- Mar 26Reported Enrolled; Signed by Speaker; Transmitted to SenateMajor
- Mar 25Rules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required – PASSED - 62-5-3AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Haws, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Manwaring, Marmon, Mathias, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Cayler, Hostetler, Leavitt, Monks, ThompsonAbsent – Bingham, Hall(Stone), PohankaFloor Sponsor - Crane(12)Title apvd - to enrolMajor
- Vote recorded Rules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required –. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 25Read second time as amended in Senate; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 24Read first time as amended in Senate; Filed for Second Reading
- Mar 24Reported Engrossed; Filed for First Reading of Engrossed Bills
- Mar 23Bills as Amended Referred to JRA for Engrossing
- Mar 23Returned from the Senate Amended; Held at Desk
- Mar 23House Concurred in Senate Amendments
- Mar 23Returned from the Senate Amended; Held at Desk
- Mar 20Read third time as amended in the Senate – PASSED - 21-14-0AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke(Bjerke), Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Galloway, Lakey, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, WintrowNAYS – Blaylock, Foreman, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lenney, Ruchti, Ward-Engelking, Woodward, Zito, ZuiderveldAbsent and excused – NoneFloor Sponsor - CarlsonTitle apvd - to HousePassed 2nd Chamber
- Vote recorded Read third time as amended in the Senate –. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 19Read second time as amended in the Senate, filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Mar 18Read first time as amended in the Senate; Filed for Second Reading
- Mar 18Amendments reported printed
- Mar 17Reported out as amended; filed for first reading
- Mar 17Amendments ordered printed
- Mar 17Placed in the Committee of the Whole
- Mar 16Reported out of committee; to 14th Order for amendment
- Feb 10Introduced, read first time; referred to: State AffairsMinor
- Feb 10Received from the House passed; filed for first reading
- Feb 9Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 62-7-1AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Egbert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Haws, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Manwaring, Mathias, McCann, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Nelsen, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Cayler, Cheatum, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Monks, ThompsonAbsent – WisniewskiFloor Sponsor - Crane(12)Title apvd - to SenatePassed 1st Chamber
- Vote recorded Read Third Time in Full –. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 6U.C. to hold place on third reading calendar until Monday, February 9, 2026
- Feb 5Read second time; Filed for Third ReadingMinor
- Feb 4Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second ReadingMinor
- Jan 29Reported Printed and Referred to State Affairs
- Jan 28Introduced, read first time, referred to JRA for PrintingIntroduced
TechnologyConsumer ProtectionAI & Privacy