2024 24LSO-0156
STATE OF WYOMING
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0085
Social media-parental consent for minors required.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman, Berger, Byron,
Crago, Lawley, Olsen and Washut and Senator(s) Barlow, Boner, Landen and Schuler
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to trade and commerce; requiring parental
2 consent for minors under age eighteen (18) to use a social
3 media platform; providing definitions; requiring
4 rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.
5
6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
7
8 Section 1. W.S. 40-32-101 and 40-32-102 are created
9 to read:
10
11 CHAPTER 32
12 SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION
13
14 40-32-101. Definitions.
15
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1 (a) As used in this chapter:
2
3 (i) "Account holder" means a person who has or
4 who opens an account or profile to use a social media
5 platform;
6
7 (ii) "Minor" means a person who is a resident of
8 Wyoming, who is under the age of eighteen (18) and who is
9 not married or has not become emancipated as provided in
10 W.S. 14-1-201 through 14-1-206;
11
12 (iii) "Social media company" means a person that
13 is an interactive computer service that provides a social
14 media platform for use;
15
16 (iv) "Social media platform" means an online
17 forum that a social media company makes available for an
18 account holder to create a profile, upload posts, view the
19 posts of other account holders or interact with other
20 account holders or users.
21
22 40-32-102. Social media platforms; parental consent
23 required; remedies.
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1
2 (a) No social media company shall allow a minor to be
3 an account holder on the social media company's social
4 media platform unless the social media company obtains the
5 express consent of the minor's parent or guardian.
6
7 (b) Each social media company shall deny access to
8 its social media platform for each account holder who fails
9 to meet the verification requirements specified in
10 subsection (a) of this section until the social media
11 company receives the express parental consent required
12 under subsection (a) of this section.
13
14 (c) The attorney general shall promulgate all rules
15 for:
16
17 (i) The process by which a social media company
18 can obtain parental consent for a minor seeking to open an
19 account and be an account holder on a social media
20 platform;
21
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1 (ii) The method by which a parent or guardian of
2 a minor can provide consent for a minor to open an account
3 and be an account holder on a social media platform;
4
5 (iii) The methods by which social media
6 companies shall verify the authenticity of the parental
7 consent provided for a minor to open an account and be an
8 account holder on a social media platform.
9
10 (d) The attorney general may pursue any remedy
11 authorized under the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act
12 against a social media company that fails to comply with
13 this article.
14
15 Section 2. The attorney general shall promulgate all
16 rules necessary to implement this act.
17
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1 Section 3.
2
3 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this
4 section, this act is effective immediately upon completion
5 of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided
6 by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
7
8 (b) Section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2024.
9
10 (END)
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