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Title: A new Nebraska law wants to make social media less addictive for kids

Date: Sat, 31 May 2025 17:15:10 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/social-media/a-new-n...

Nebraska is the latest state to crack down on how kids can use social media.
The state's governor, Jim Pillen, recently signed into law a package of bills
aimed at restricting certain social media features that keep kids hooked on
the platform. The final bill signed, called the Age-Appropriate Online Design
Code Act, will require companies to offer time limits on usage, restrict
certain categories of content and provide chronological feeds instead of
algorithmic ones that promote infinite scrolling.

The Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, also known as LB504, details that
social media companies can only collect the minimum amount of personal data
from younger users, and offers parents more tools to limit how their children
use their accounts. Along with those restrictions, the law prohibits any ads
related to gambling, alcohol, tobacco or drugs from reaching kids on social
media.

Alongside LB504, the signed package of bills includes LB140 that limits
student use of smartphones in schools, LB383 that requires social media
companies to verify the age of its users and require parental consent for
creating accounts, and LB172 that creates criminal penalties for AI-generated
pornography.

"Collectively, all these bills have an incredible impact on helping our
teachers and giving our schools the opportunity to teach our kids, instead of
being disrupted in the classroom," Pillen said in a press release. "They also
provide parents with the tools they need to protect our kids from big tech
online companies and predators."

The law is set to go into effect January 1, 2026, and any companies that
violate these new regulations will face civil penalties. Nebraska is the
latest state to restrict social media usage for minors, but Texas is also
trying to pass a similar ban. With more efforts to regulate social media,
NetChoice, an Internet advocacy organization whose members include Google,
Meta and X, has voiced criticism of these states' efforts, arguing that they
infringe on First Amendment rights and user privacy. In 2022, California
signed a similar law meant to protect underage users, but it has since been
in a legal battle following a lawsuit filed by NetChoice that claims a
violation of free speech rights.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/social-media/a-new-n...
media-less-addictive-for-kids-171510432.html?src=rss

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