Georgia senate bill seeking to regulate social media access by children backed by Lt. Governor

A group of Georgia lawmakers are working on new legislation to regulate social media for children in the Peach State.

According to a release by Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Senate Bill 351, called the “Protecting Georgia’s Children on Social Media Act of 2024″ would change state statutes to require school boards to have and enforce social media policies for their students.

The legislation, if passed, would also require social media platforms to provide certain information to parents upon their request and allow the state’s attorney general to have enforcement authority.

While the bill went into detail over the policy plans, it did not specify any particular social media platforms or websites.

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As written, SB 351 would place the responsibility of regulating social media use by students on local boards of education, with oversight by the state.

Additionally, the legislation says that boards that fail to comply with some of the policy requirements could see state funds withheld until they adopt compliant policies for social media regulations.

The bill states that the goal is to revamp and revise current state statutes related to bullying and cyberbullying in Georgia public schools, require social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more to verify the account holders’ ages and refuse service to minors without parental consent.

The bill is sponsored by Sens. Jason Anivitarte, Randy Robertson, Matt Brass, John F. Kennedy, Steve Gooch, Shawn Still, Lee Anderson, Frank Ginn and Clint Dixon, all of whom are members of the Republican party, meaning the legislation is not currently a bipartisan effort. It has also received public backing by the state’s Lieutenant Governor.

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SB 351 also would require new lessons to be added to state education programs to add curriculum for the 2024-2025 school year focused on “methods of promoting responsible digital citizenship and the safe and appropriate use of technology, the internet, and social media.”

“Since we announced this initiative in August, Senator Anavitarte and I have worked with industry and education leaders, online safety advocates, and legal experts to craft this legislation, and we will continue working with them as this process moves forward,” Jones said in a statement. “We believe SB 351 is an important step forward in protecting Georgia’s children and giving them the tools they need to be safe in their use of social media and other technologies.”

Local school boards would be required to have a program of this type at all grade levels starting in the 2025-2026 school year, according to the legislative text.

The curriculum, under the legislation’s direction, would include instruction on the following topics for students in grades six through 12:

• The social, emotional, and physical effects of social media on users

• The negative effects of social media on the mental health of users, including but not limited to, addiction

• The distribution of disinformation and misinformation on social media

• How social media manipulates or influences thoughts and behaviors

• The permanency and risks of sharing materials online

• How to maintain personal security and identify cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and human trafficking on the internet and social media

• How to report suspicious behavior encountered on the internet and social media to the appropriate person and authorities

The bill also says the information in the new curriculum is allowed to discuss the benefits of social media use, such as supporting career readiness for future academic or employment opportunities, sharing information with family and friends, and safely connecting with people who share your interests.

The Georgia Department of Education would also be required to update model programs created by the legislation to reflect changes in how internet, social media, and emergent technologies are used, as well as contemporary social and psychological research and information about “new threats to teenagers and young adults” who use social media and other online communication tools.

School boards will be required to adopt social media policies by Aug. 1 that “prohibit and prevent students from accessing social media platforms” while at school, if using equipment, services or connections owned, leased or operated by the local school system or board of education.

The policies will also have to include disciplinary measures for when students or school personnel violate social media policies, and allows school systems or schools to use software or other tools to block access to social media platforms.

By Oct. 1, school boards will have to submit copies of these new policies to the State Board of Education for compliance review. Failure to comply with the legislation, should SB 351 pass, could lead to withholding state funds until corrections are made.

Explaining the legislative effort, the bill’s chief sponsor, Anavitarte, said:

“As two dads, we believe we must keep our kids safe through the ever-growing threat of social media on minors. The threats are not just locally in our communities, but in the global stage as we have seen more recently. No kid should have to worry and stress about bullying and online threats. We will continue to promote efforts to have strong families against the poison eroding America.”

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