Harrisburg, PA − March 20, 2024 − Senator Hughes applauded yesterday’s passage of HB2017 out the of the House Consumer Protection, Technology, and Utilities Committee. The legislation proposes similar actions that were included in Senator Hughes and Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill’s Senate Bill 22, which calls for protections for minors on social media platforms and more accountability from social media companies.
SB22 passed out of the Senate Communications and Technology Committee on September 19, 2023 and was then brought up for second consideration on October 3, 2023. It was laid on the table as of October 25, 2023.
Senator Hughes shared the following statement:
“Social media has very much become an unchecked presence in all our lives. For children especially, this can be detrimental to their mental health, self-esteem, and ability to disconnect from what they’re consuming on the phone.
The legislation introduced by Senator Phillips-Hill and I, and now this House version, ultimately seeks to empower parents and guardians to get more involved in what and how their children are using social media. It also requires social media companies to take accountability and be better versions of themselves, particularly with how they manage the use of their platform or app by young people.
The bottom line is that we’re seeing more data and examples of how social media is having harmful effects on youth mental health. Something needs to be done. Both SB22 and HB2017 offer actionable, sensible solutions to help both young people and their parents manage how social media impacts their mental well-being.”
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