Governor's Bill No. 5037 aims to enhance the safety of minors on social media platforms by establishing regulations for "covered operators" of these platforms, effective January 1, 2028. The bill defines key terms such as "covered minor," "covered operator," and "covered platform," and outlines the responsibilities of these operators regarding content accessed by minors. Notably, it prohibits operators from allowing minors to access media based on personal information without age verification or parental consent. Additionally, any information collected for these purposes must be deleted immediately after use, with exceptions for compliance with federal or state laws. The bill also mandates that operators display a prominent warning about the mental health risks associated with social media use for young users.

The legislation further stipulates that notifications sent to covered minors regarding recommendations or selections must occur only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern Time, unless parental consent is obtained for notifications outside this timeframe. Covered operators are required to implement default settings that limit minors' access to certain content and notifications, and they must establish mechanisms for parents to customize these settings. Starting March 1, 2028, operators must publicly disclose specific data, including the total number of users and the percentage with parental consent. The bill clarifies that it does not require operators to provide parents access to their child's account unless specified and establishes that violations will be considered unfair or deceptive trade practices.