Indiana lawmakers are weighing a bill that would require parental consent before Hoosiers under age 16 can access social media. Senate Bill 11 would ban young people from social media websites unless their parents explicitly give them permission − and could open up social media companies to legal action if they don't enforce the rules.

Even before Meta dropped fact-checkers, it could be hard to know what to believe on social media. Parents can help kids sort through posts to learn what’s true.

One year after Indiana policymakers enacted a law requiring pornography websites to verify users’ ages, a new bill seeks to further restrict Hoosiers under age 16 from creating social media accounts without “verified” parental permission.

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Minors below the age of 16 would need permission from a parent or guardian to use social media apps like Instagram or Snapchat.

Senate Bill 11 would obligate all social media outlets to obtain "verifiable parental consent" as part of the process of a child under 16 registering to use their app.

Rather than relying on parents to limit kids’ phone time (which, as many parents can attest, is sometimes easier said than done), a growing number of lawmakers are taking matters into their own hands by passing legislation that seeks to keep kids off social media entirely.