A Texas bill that could block minors from accessing social media is moving through the legislature.
Texas House Bill 18 passed the House and is now in the Senate.
The Bill would require social media apps to get parental consent before a person under the age of 18 could create an account.
“I think it is a partnership, that’s how it is in our house,” parent Amele Bilodeau said
Bilodeau, who has a 9-year-old, believes parents shouldn’t have the final say and her child Avery agrees.
“Shouldn’t I have some free range?” her child Avery said.
They are talking about HB 18– known as the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act.
It would require social media platforms to get a parent’s consent before allowing a minor to create an account. It’s authored by Rep. Shelby Slawson, R-Stephenville.
“For kids who are under the age of 18, parents have the ability to identify that child as a minor and the company enters into a user agreement with that parent that gives the parent the ability to do things like set highest possible privacy settings for a kid, limit their exposure to different targeting advertising out there and keep a better eye on what might happen in terms of messages that comes to the kid,” Rep. Slawson said.
While at Levy Park, KPRC met another parent named Jie. She says she encourages her son James to use social media but with caution, under her watch.
“If my kid is under 18, I think he needs my permission about downloading a social media app,” she said.
The Speaker of the House said the Bill is a priority and it has received some bipartisan support.