Substitute House Bill No. 6857 aims to enhance the protection of minors on social media platforms by establishing specific regulations for "covered operators." The bill defines key terms such as "covered minor," "covered operator," and "covered platform," and prohibits these operators from allowing access to media items recommended or prioritized based on user data unless they obtain verifiable consent from a minor's parent or legal guardian. It mandates that any information collected for age verification or consent must be deleted immediately after use and prohibits operators from degrading services due to compliance with these regulations. Additionally, the bill restricts notifications sent to minors to specific hours unless parental consent is obtained and requires default settings that limit minors' access to certain features.

The bill also introduces provisions for age verification, allowing operators to presume a user is not a minor if they cannot verify the user's age, but mandates treating a user as a minor if the operator has actual knowledge of their age. Operators must publicly disclose user statistics annually, including the total number of users and the average time spent on the platform. Violations of these provisions will be classified as unfair or deceptive trade practices under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. The effective date of the bill is set for January 1, 2027, following an amendment that delays its implementation and exempts certain governmental entities and educational platforms from being classified as covered operators. The bill includes new legal language regarding user consent and age verification while deleting outdated provisions.