Efforts to regulate social media for minors are gaining momentum across multiple states, but these measures could have far-reaching consequences beyond child safety. Connecticut’s proposed House Bill 6857, along with similar legislation in Nebraska and Utah, seeks to curb algorithmic recommendations, impose time restrictions, and introduce stricter age verification requirements.
While proponents argue these policies will help protect young users from harmful content and excessive screen time, they also accelerate the push toward mandatory digital ID systems that could undermine online anonymity. As governments and corporations increasingly require users to verify their identity to access platforms, the internet may shift toward a more monitored and controlled digital space, raising concerns about privacy and personal freedom.
More: The Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda
Connecticut Bill Targets Algorithmic Influence and Social Media Use Limits
HB6857, formally titled “An Act Concerning the Attorney General’s Recommendations Regarding Social Media and Minors,” aims at what Attorney General William Tong describes as social media’s deliberate use of machine learning to keep users engaged. He argues that these algorithms analyze user behavior to feed them increasingly compelling content, a tactic he believes is particularly harmful to children.
If passed, the bill would prohibit algorithm-based content recommendations for minors unless a parent explicitly opts in. Additionally, it would block social media access for children between midnight and 6 a.m. and impose a daily usage limit of one hour. Tong emphasizes that parents must make an active decision regarding their child’s access to algorithms. “If an individual parent decides that they want their kid to have access to algorithms, that they can handle it, they can do that, but they have to affirmatively make that decision,” he explains, adding that the process must involve more than a simple click-through agreement.
Many social media platforms already claim to restrict access for users under 13, but enforcement is largely ineffective. While HB6857 acknowledges that any age verification requirements must be “commercially feasible,” Tong dismisses the idea that social media giants lack the resources to implement effective measures. “It’s up to these companies, which make trillions of dollars every year off of all of us, to figure out how to effectively age gate, verify the age of young people, and to verify parent consent,” he states. “We know that just putting a page up that says, ‘Are you 18 or not?’ and clicking ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ doesn’t do it. It’s not enough.”
Expanding Digital ID Requirements and the Risk of Online Anonymity
Connecticut’s bill is part of a broader national trend pushing for tighter age verification rules, many of which rely on digital ID systems that could make anonymous online access increasingly difficult.
Nebraska’s LB383, the Parental Rights in Social Media Act, would require social media companies to implement “reasonable age verification” to block minors from accessing platforms unless a parent provides consent. According to Unicameral Update, acceptable verification methods would include digital IDs and third-party age authentication services, though these entities would be required to delete personal data after verification.
Despite assurances about data deletion, these laws raise concerns about how much personal information users will have to provide just to access everyday online services. Under LB383, minors could still create social media accounts—but only if their parents first verify their own age and submit a signed consent form. Attorney General Mike Hilgers sees social media engagement as a calculated business model, arguing, “These are not on-accident algorithms that are just sort of inadvertently bringing in children. These are by design because some of the most lucrative customers you can find in this area are children.”
Critics of digital ID expansion warn that once identity checks become standard, they could be applied beyond social media, gradually eroding the ability to browse the internet freely and anonymously.
Utah’s Plan to Tie App Store Accounts to Digital ID
Utah’s Senate Bill 142 (SB142), the App Store Accountability Act, takes a different approach by shifting the responsibility to app stores rather than social media companies. The bill would require app stores to verify a user’s age before allowing downloads. If the user is a minor, their account would have to be linked to a parent’s account, meaning parents would need to verify their identity—potentially using a credit card—before granting their child access.
The enforcement mechanism in SB142 is particularly aggressive. If an app store fails to comply with these verification requirements, it would be classified as a “deceptive trade practice” under Utah law, giving parents the ability to take legal action against app store providers.
While these bills are presented as ways to protect children from social media addiction and harmful content, they are also laying the groundwork for a future in which identity verification becomes a prerequisite for internet access. Mandatory digital ID requirements—whether through government-issued IDs, credit cards, or third-party verification services—could fundamentally reshape the internet, transforming it from an open platform into a space where access is restricted and monitored.
