Indiana law limits how covered social media platforms serve teens

Covered social media providers must check the age and state of people seeking accounts and get verified parent or guardian consent before creating accounts for Indiana residents under 16. The rules cover Indiana residents under 16 who seek accounts with providers meeting the law's definition. Some private messaging services, device makers, app stores, and communications providers are excluded. The rules apply only to providers meeting the law's criteria for user activity, platform features, and revenue. The article does not apply to adolescents who are legally emancipated. The social media article takes effect January 1, 2027.

Providers must set covered teen accounts to block most direct messages, public search results, personalized recommendations or ads, and specified attention-grabbing features. They must offer consenting parents account tools to monitor use and set limits. These rules cover Indiana account holders under 16 whom a provider knows or has reason to know are adolescents. Messages and search visibility are allowed for accounts the teen has designated as linked accounts. Parents who provide verified consent must be offered a separate password to use the monitoring and control tools. The rules take effect January 1, 2027.

Ivy Tech must give campus boards regular performance dashboards and yearly labor market analyses. Each campus must prepare a measurable strategic plan and submit it for approval. These duties apply to Ivy Tech Community College campuses and their campus boards. Plans must connect to Ivy Tech's strategic plan and include goals, steps, target dates, and needed resources. Both the campus board and state board of trustees must approve each plan. After approval, campuses must give campus boards budget summaries explaining how spending supports the plan. The yearly information and labor market analysis are due by July 1, 2027, and each July 1 after that. These provisions take effect July 1, 2026.

The law treats a social media provider's violation of the article as a deceptive act that the Indiana attorney general may enforce. Providers must use parental consent information only to register consent and generally delete it immediately afterward. These rules apply to providers covered by the social media article and information they receive from people giving verified parental consent. Providers may keep consent information when needed to comply with another applicable state or federal law or regulation. These provisions take effect January 1, 2027.

Before September 1 each year, the Management Performance Hub must compile specified workforce reports and education information into a data product and share it with workforce focused agencies and the General Assembly. The product includes reports for the 12-month period ending the prior March 31 and specified education information. It goes to each workforce focused agency and the General Assembly. Including the education dashboard, higher education report, and related analysis depends on available funding. The hub must make the product available before September 1 each year.