From State Senator Craig Wilcox:
Children’s Online Safety Legislation Passes
| In the early hours of June 1, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation designed to strengthen online protections for children and provide parents with additional tools to help keep their families safe in the digital age. House Bill 5511, known as the Children’s Online Safety Act, establishes new safeguards for minors on social media platforms, including enhanced privacy protections, expanded parental controls, and restrictions on certain interactions between minors and adults. The legislation aimed to address growing concerns about online safety and the impact social media and technology can have on young people. Senate Republicans say the measure is intended to give families additional resources to navigate an increasingly digital world while helping protect children from harmful online interactions. |
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This is the description of the bill legislators saw:
Creates the Children’s Social Media Safety Act. Provides that, no later than January 1, 2028, a covered manufacturer that has an account setup feature with respect to the use of an Internet-enabled device shall:
(1) provide an accessible interface at account setup that requires an account holder to indicate the birth date, age, or both, of the primary user of that device for purposes of providing a signal regarding the primary user’s age bracket to covered developers;
(2) provide a covered developer who has requested a signal with respect to a particular user with the technical ability to call a digital signal by a reasonably consistent application programming interface; and
(3) send only the minimum amount of information necessary to comply with the Act and not share the digital signal information with a third party for a purpose not required by the Act, except where legally required.
Provides that a covered operator shall not offer a website, online service, online application, or mobile application in the State if it is not in compliance with specified provisions of the Act. Sets forth additional provisions concerning digital age assurance. Provides that a violation of the Act constitutes an unlawful practice under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to make a conforming change. Effective January 1, 2027.
