Two US House of Representatives members, one from each of the dominant parties, have introduced a bill to ban under-16s from having accounts on “addictive” social media.
And if an account is discovered to belong to an under-16, the proposal, dubbed the 16 & Up Social Media Act, seeks to cut them off from their online speech, by having the account terminated.
The bill was introduced by Erin Houchin, a Republican from Indiana, and Jake Auchincloss, a Democrat from Massachusetts, on September 11, 2026, and has the support of psychologist Jonathan Haidt, who said that the goal is “to stop addictive design entirely.”
The bill covers services that are available to the general public, have searchable and followable usernames, and where user generated content is the primary purpose. These platforms must also allow users to share content, have features that promote engagement, and use personal information for advertising, marketing, or recommendations.
Specific features that are targeted include infinite scroll, autoplay, push alerts, usage-based badges, and personalized recommendations.
As for the way the bill seeks to achieve its goal, it would require companies to “know” a user is under 16, and delete that account. But on page 11, the text states that “knows” means “to know or should have known.”
That opens the door to pressuring companies to investigate the age of their users, or shut them out if there’s doubt. Adults who are flagged would then have to challenge the decision. The bill does not explicitly require government ID uploads for every user, nor does it prescribe a specific age-checking technology.
The bill would have to be passed and then have its provisions come into force in order to start affecting users and companies, but if that happens, existing accounts would have to be identified within 60 days of enactment, users notified within 180 days of enactment, and accounts removed within 30 days of that notification.
Appeals processes must be set up within 60 days, and before the removals start. Other provisions of the bill would come into force a year after it becomes law.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) would be in charge of enforcing the bill, and would treat violations as unfair or deceptive practices. States would also be able to sue companies for violations.
The appeals process brings age verification into the bill. Companies can ask for evidence that is “strictly necessary to verify the age of the user.” They have five days to decide on the appeal, and the evidence can only be used for this purpose. It cannot be retained, sold or transferred.
Adults who are mistakenly flagged as minors would have to contest this decision and provide personal information to the company to continue using the service.
