Tennessee HB 1891 (Social Media)
What it does
Tennessee HB 1891, the Protecting Children from Social Media Act, requires social media platforms to check the age of anyone opening an account and, for users under 18, to get a parent or guardian's express consent first. Verification happens when someone creates an account, or within fourteen days for an existing one. Platforms have to hand parents supervision tools, and the state Attorney General enforces the rules.
Why it matters
Age checks that started on adult sites now reach the mainstream platforms where people post, read, and organize. Proving your age to open an account means handing over an ID or a face scan, and keeping an account you already have means doing it again.
Our take
Tennessee wrote parental consent into the price of an account, and a federal judge let it stand while the appeal runs. If the Sixth Circuit upholds it, ID-to-speak on ordinary social media gets a green light across three states.
Timeline
- May 2, 2024Signed by Governor Bill Lee
- January 1, 2025Took effect
- February 4, 2026Sixth Circuit heard oral argument
Legal challenges
Preliminary injunction denied June 2025; Sixth Circuit heard argument Feb 4, 2026, ruling pending
Our coverage: all age-verification stories · Status checked July 19, 2026