Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this Minnesota legislative bill is to regulate social media use among minors, specifically those aged 15 and younger. It aims to protect minors from potentially harmful content on social media platforms by enforcing age verification and parental consent.

Main Provisions

• Age Restrictions for Social Media Accounts:

  • Minors under 14 years old are prohibited from creating social media accounts.
  • Social media platforms must terminate existing accounts for users under 14, giving the account holder 90 days to dispute termination.
  • Minors aged 14 and 15 can only create accounts with parental or guardian consent. If consent is not provided, their accounts must also be terminated.

• Account Termination Requests:

  • Accounts for minors under 14, or for minors aged 14 and 15 without parental consent, can be terminated promptly upon request by the minor or their guardian within specified time frames.

• Deletion of Personal Information:

  • Social media platforms must permanently delete personal information of terminated accounts unless there are legal needs to retain it.

Enforcement and Penalties

• Violations of this regulation are considered unfair and deceptive trade practices.
• The Attorney General can sue social media platforms for non-compliance, imposing civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation.
• Platforms could face punitive damages if violations involve a consistent pattern of reckless behavior.
• Minors affected by violations can sue for damages up to $10,000 plus court costs and attorney fees.

Jurisdiction and Legal Matters

• Social media platforms allowing minors under 14 or those aged 14 and 15 without appropriate consent are considered to be conducting substantial business activities in Minnesota, making them subject to the state's legal jurisdiction.
• Using a social media platform constitutes a contract between the platform and the user, applicable under the bill for any age group.

Additional Legal Remedies

• The bill does not restrict seeking other legal or equitable remedies outside its provisions.

Relevant Terms: - Social media platform - Minor account holder - Age verification - Parental consent - Personal information deletion - Unfair trade practices - Civil penalties