Bill > HB21

This bill, known as the Child Influencers Protection Act, establishes new regulations for social media platforms and content creators, referred to as "vloggers," who feature minors in their videos. A vlogger is defined as an individual or business that creates video content for social media in exchange for payment. The bill mandates that if a vlogger features a child (defined as a minor related to the vlogger or whose guardian has an interest in a business vlogger) in their content for at least 30% of the total duration within a 30-day period, and the vlogger either qualifies for payment from the platform based on views or earns at least 10 cents per view, then the child must be compensated. This compensation must be paid into separate trusts for each child, to be accessed when they turn 18, with the percentage of gross earnings attributable to the child's featured content going into their trust, divided equally if multiple children are involved. Furthermore, adults who were featured as children in vlogger content on or after October 1, 2026, can request the permanent deletion of that content, and social media platforms must comply with such requests. The bill also amends existing labor laws to clarify that minors required to be compensated by vloggers under these new provisions are not exempt from labor regulations, except for specific types of work like farm or domestic labor, or work in a parent-owned business (unless the child is a required beneficiary of vlogger compensation). The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2026.

Business and Industry

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0021?ys=2026RS