Substitute House Bill No. 5037 aims to enhance the safety of minors on social media platforms by establishing specific regulations for "covered operators" of these platforms. The bill defines key terms such as "covered minor," "covered operator," and "covered platform," and mandates that operators verify the age of users and obtain verifiable consent from a minor's parent or guardian before allowing access to personalized algorithmic content. It also requires that any information collected for age verification be deleted immediately after use. Additionally, the bill imposes restrictions on notifications related to personalized suggestions, allowing them only during specified hours unless parental consent is provided, and sets default settings to limit minors' access to personalized content to one hour per day.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that covered operators display a prominent warning about the mental health risks associated with social media use for minors, which must be shown when a minor first accesses the platform each day and after every three hours of use. It also requires annual public disclosures regarding user demographics and platform usage patterns. The legislation introduces new legal language while clarifying existing provisions, and violations of these regulations will be classified as unfair trade practices under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. The effective date for these changes is set for January 1, 2028.