Press Room

The Massachusetts House of Representatives today passed a bill requiring social media companies to implement age verification systems to prohibit users under the age of 14, and require parental consent from prospective social media users aged 14 and 15. Additionally, the bill will protect students from distracting technology during the school day by prohibiting the use of cell phones from school arrival through dismissal. The bill will also require districts to educate students in age-appropriate ways about the responsible use of social media, including potential harms to emotional and mental health and bullying.

“This bill will protect children from harmful content and addictive algorithms, and ensure that our students are able to focus in the classroom without the distraction from cell phones,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “I would like to thank Chairman Michlewitz, Leader Peisch and Chairman Gordon for all their work on this bill, and all my House colleagues for recognizing the importance of ensuring that our kids are safe and able to succeed in the classroom.”

“Today the House took an important step in helping protect the children of the Commonwealth from predatory social media platforms. The science is clear that exposure to social media at a young age can have a harmful effect on a minor’s development. By banning it for those 13 and under and allowing for parental consent for those who are 14 or 15, we will ensure that children are protecting while giving them the ability to express themselves online at a safe and appropriate age. The legislation also bans the use of cellphones during the school day, which will allow students to be in a classroom free of distractions,” said Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Chair of the House Committee on Ways & Means (D-Boston). “I want to thank Speaker Mariano, Leader Peisch, Chair Gordon and all my colleagues in the House for their support on this critical piece of legislation.”

“I want to thank the Speaker for bringing this bill to the House floor,” said Representative Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley), Assistant Majority Leader. “A bell-to-bell prohibition on cell phones and similar devices has long been a priority of mine. I believe this measure, combined with age restrictions on social media, will support learning, personal growth, and meaningful human connection. A social media ban for children under 14 is not extreme, it is responsible. Technology will continue to play a powerful role in our society, but it must not come at the expense of our children’s ability to learn, to connect with others, and to develop into healthy adults.”

“A vast majority of superintendents urged us to take the lead in restricting cell phone use from bell-to-bell in our schools,” said Representative Kenneth Gordon (D-Bedford), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “This legislation will help ensure students stay focused in the classroom, are protected from bullying and other forms of distraction, while also encouraging them to engage with one another and be present during non-instructional time. Beyond limiting cell phone use, the bill takes important steps to protect children from the harmful effects of social media on their health and well-being. I’m grateful to Speaker Mariano for prioritizing this critical issue.”

Social Media Ban for Children

• Requires social media companies to implement an age verification system based on the best technology available in order to reasonably and accurately identify a current or prospective user’s age
• Prohibits minors under the age of 14 from social media platforms, by requiring platforms to terminate users under said age and delete associated personal information effective October 1, 2026.
• Requires social media platforms to acquire verifiable parental consent for 14- and 15-year-old users of their platforms
• Platforms must publicly post information related to:
• The number of users processed using the age verification system
• The number of users granted access to the social media feed due to the age determination appeal process
• The number of users denied access to the social media feed due to the user not meeting age requirements
• The number of users granted access to the social media feed after providing the platform with verifiable parental consent
• The number of account user age verification review requests
• The number of accounts subsequently terminated for not meeting age requirements due to account user age verification review requests
• Platforms found to be in violation of these requirements will be subject to civil fines.
• Prohibits social media platforms from sharing information about a minor’s LGBTQ+ status or other characteristics protected under state law.
• Directs the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) to provide guidance to districts on effective instruction on social media use.
• Directs the AGO  to promulgate regulations for online protections, annually review the definition of “social media platform,” and maintain a public platform for reporting potential violations. 

Requirements for School Districts

• Must implement a policy prohibiting the use of personal electronic devices as determined by the School Committee. Districts must implement the policy during the school-day and during school sponsored activities occurring during the school-day. Districts must also notify parents of said policy and ensure that parents still have the ability to contact their children during the school day and vice versa. This prohibition can be put into effect by way of:
• Secure storage of personal electronic devices
• The use of technology that renders personal electronic devices inoperable
• Other methods, which will require the approval of DESE
• Must file their policy annually, no later than September 1^st, to DESE.
• Districts must make accommodations and exceptions as necessary, including for students with: IEPs or disabilities that require the use of personal electronic devices; documented medical needs, including to treat or monitor a health condition; language access and translation needs, as authorized by the superintendent or a designee. Accommodations and exceptions must also be made in the event of an emergency.

Requirements for DESE

• Provide guidance, recommendations, and a model policy to help districts with developing and implementing effective policies regarding the prohibition of personal electronic devices during the school day
• Includes discipline safeguards to ensure that expulsion/suspension can't be imposed solely for violating device policies.
• Includes DESE reporting requirements on implementation device policies, and effects of social media education.

Pilot Program

• DESE must issue a request for proposals for a pilot program in which 10 districts may participate that shall provide for a technological means of rendering a personal electronic device inoperable on school grounds during the school day.
• DESE may select one or more bidders to provide such technology. In making such selection, DESE must consider the technology’s:
• Compliance with state and federal privacy laws;
• Flexibility to allow districts to provide access to applications other than those designed for texting or talking;
• Ability to allow parents and students to communicate with each other;
• Ability to allow communication between students and emergency providers (911)
• The geo-fencing pilot includes privacy safeguards, including that providers can't collect data for advertising or profiling.

The bill passed the House of Representatives 129-25. Having passed the Senate already, the bill now goes back to the Senate for further consideration.

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