Texas Bill Could Ban Social Media for Minors

Texas Bill Could Ban Social Media for Minors.

House Bill 186, currently advancing through the Texas Legislature, proposes to make Texas the first state in the nation to prohibit minors from creating or maintaining social media accounts.

The legislation has already passed the Texas House with bipartisan support and is now under review by the Senate.

The legislation, authored by Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), would require social media platforms to verify users' ages before allowing access and would give parents the power to have their children’s accounts deleted.

What House Bill 186 Proposes 

If passed, HB 186 would make it illegal for social media platforms to allow users under 18 to create or maintain accounts. Key provisions include:

• Mandatory age verification using commercially accepted methods

• Parental control: Guardians could request deletion of their child's account, which platforms must carry out within 10 days

• Legal enforcement: Non-compliant platforms could face penalties for deceptive trade practices under state law

The bill applies to platforms that allow users to post content publicly, follow others, and receive algorithm-based recommendations, meaning platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter) would all fall under the scope of the law.

“The Most Harmful Product Kids Have Legal Access To”

Rep. Jared Patterson, who has become one of the most vocal critics of unregulated youth access to social media, has repeatedly described these platforms as a public health hazard.

“After researching and participating in study committees in this body, I firmly believe that social media is the most harmful product that our kids have legal access to in Texas,” he said during debate on the House floor.

Mr. Patterson compared the spread of social media among teens to past decades’ failure to regulate tobacco.

“We didn’t know what we had given to our children over the last decade and a half,” he added. “We now know. We now have studies that show it is extremely harmful.”

Backed by Both Parties

While HB 186 is a Republican-led effort, it has drawn support from both sides of the aisle. Rep. Mary González (D-Clint) introduced a complementary bill that would require warning labels on social media platforms, alerting users to potential mental health risks for minors.

Mental health groups and parent advocacy organizations have also lined up behind the bill, pointing to recent studies linking adolescent social media use to spikes in anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide.

Critics Warn of Constitutional and Privacy Risks

Civil liberties groups argue the bill may violate the First Amendment and infringe on privacy rights.

Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) have voiced strong opposition.

“There is no way anyone with any understanding of the First Amendment would look at this and say this is a good idea,” said Ari Cohn, lead counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

Privacy experts are particularly concerned about the bill’s age verification mandate, warning it could require platforms to collect more sensitive data from users, creating new cybersecurity risks and potentially endangering minors' personal information.

If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the governor, HB 186 would go into effect on September 1, 2025.

Legal challenges are widely expected, especially given the fate of similar laws in other states.

A comparable measure in Arkansas was blocked by a federal judge in 2023, and parts of Texas’s own SCOPE Act have already been halted in court.

Despite that, Rep. Patterson remains undeterred.

“Texas has the opportunity to lead. If we’re serious about protecting kids, then we can’t ignore the damage social media is doing. This bill is about putting families, not tech companies back in control.”

Texas’s social media bill is part of a broader national debate over how to regulate Big Tech and protect youth in the digital age.

Whether HB 186 survives legal scrutiny or not, its progress is likely to influence legislation in other states and could reshape the way social platforms approach minors in the years to come. 

How to Talk to Your Kids About Social Media

Social media isn’t going away and neither is the pressure teens feel to be online. But research shows that one of the most powerful tools for protecting youth isn’t legislation. It’s conversation.

Experts recommend approaching the topic with empathy, not fear. Ask open-ended questions like:

• What do you like about the apps you use?

• Have you ever seen something online that made you uncomfortable?

• How do you feel after spending time on social media?

By making the topic safe and judgment-free, parents can help their kids think critically, set boundaries, and recognize when it’s time to unplug.  

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