S0929 creates the Rhode Island Social Media Regulation Act and would impose a new set of requirements on large social media companies operating in the state. Beginning January 1, 2026, a social media company with at least five million account holders worldwide could not allow a Rhode Island resident under 18 to hold an account unless the minor has express parental or guardian consent. The bill also requires age verification for new and existing Rhode Island account holders and directs the Department of Business Regulation to adopt rules for acceptable verification methods, parental consent procedures, and the secure handling and disposal of personal information collected for compliance.
For Rhode Island minor account holders, the bill would restrict platform features and data practices. It would prohibit direct messaging except with friended users, block minors from appearing in search results to non-friended users, ban advertising in the minor’s account, bar the collection or use of personal information except as needed for legal compliance, and prohibit targeted or suggested content, accounts, groups, products, or services. It also requires social media companies to provide parents or guardians with access to the minor’s account, including posts and messages, and to enforce a default access window restriction between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., while allowing parents to modify or remove that limit and set daily time caps.
The bill would amend state law by adding a new chapter to Title 6 governing commercial law and general regulatory provisions. It gives the Department of Business Regulation exclusive enforcement authority over most provisions, authorizes consumer complaints, administrative fines of up to $2,500 per violation, court actions, injunctions, disgorgement, damages, attorney’s fees, and enhanced civil penalties for repeat violations. It also creates a private right of action for aggrieved persons or account holders to sue for violations related to the age-verification requirement and related protections, with statutory damages or actual damages and fees available. The act includes a waiver prohibition and severability clause, and it would take effect on January 1, 2026.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill materials is neutral to supportive of stronger child-safety regulation, though no committee transcript or vote record is available to show debate or formal opposition. The caption and structure indicate a policy goal of limiting minors’ access to social media absent parental consent and reducing exposure to advertising, targeted content, and unsupervised contact. Because there is no recorded voting history or hearing discussion in the provided materials, the level of legislative support or public controversy cannot be determined from the record here.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the scope of age verification, the privacy implications of collecting and retaining identifying information, the parental access requirements, and the breadth of restrictions placed on minors’ accounts. The bill also raises possible concerns for social media companies about compliance costs, enforcement exposure, and whether the law could affect platform design or user privacy. Supporters would likely emphasize child safety, parental oversight, and reduced algorithmic targeting, while critics may focus on privacy, implementation burdens, and the risk of overbroad regulation of online speech and access.
The bill would add a new chapter to Rhode Island’s commercial law governing social media platforms and would regulate how large social media companies may provide accounts to minors who are Rhode Island residents. It would require parental consent and age verification, impose account-level restrictions for minors, and authorize the Department of Business Regulation to issue implementing rules, investigate complaints, and enforce compliance through fines, civil actions, and related remedies. It also creates a private right of action for certain violations and establishes new obligations affecting platform access, advertising, messaging, search visibility, and data use for minor accounts.
Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears aimed at child online safety and parental control, suggesting a generally protective or supportive policy posture toward regulating social media use by minors. However, there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided materials, so there is no direct evidence of formal support, opposition, or amendments. The available record does not show a partisan or procedural split, only that the bill was introduced and referred to Senate Judiciary.
The most likely areas of contention are the mandatory age-verification system, the collection and retention of personal information needed to verify age and parental consent, and the requirement that parents be given access to minors’ messages and posts. Critics may argue that these provisions create privacy risks, compliance burdens, and potential overreach into family and platform autonomy, while supporters are likely to argue that they are necessary to protect minors from harmful content, unwanted contact, and targeted advertising. The bill’s broad enforcement scheme and private right of action may also be disputed by social media companies and civil liberties advocates.