Bill > SB262

This bill, titled the Social Media/Minors Act, aims to protect minors on social media platforms by establishing new regulations and penalties. Primarily, it mandates that social media platforms must prohibit individuals under 16 years of age who reside in Alaska from creating accounts and must terminate existing accounts held by such minors, with a 90-day period for dispute resolution. The bill also requires platforms to permanently delete data associated with terminated minor accounts, unless legally required to retain it, and prohibits the use of personal data of minors under 18 in personalized recommendation systems, though chronological display of user-selected content is permitted. The Attorney General is empowered to seek punitive damages for knowing or reckless violations of these provisions, and while private individuals cannot sue under certain existing laws for violations of these new rules, minors under 18 who are harmed by a knowing or reckless violation can bring a lawsuit for up to $10,000 in damages, brought by a parent or guardian within one year of discovery. These regulations apply to social media platforms that meet specific criteria regarding the daily active usage of minors under 18 and the presence of addictive features like continuous scrolling, push notifications, or auto-playing videos. The bill defines key terms such as "account holder," "daily active users," "personal data," "personalized recommendation system," and "social media platform," and will take effect on January 1, 2027.

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https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=SB262