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HB171 INTRODUCED
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HB171
XD36QZE-1
By Representative Robbins
RFD: Children and Senior Advocacy
First Read: 13-Jan-26
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XD36QZE-1 01/09/2026 JWB (L)lg 2025-2730
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First Read: 13-Jan-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, a social media platform may
provide recommendations or sections of additional feeds
to users on its websites, services, or applications,
regardless of whether the users of the platform are
minors.
This bill would introduce limits on the ability
of social media platforms to provide these media feeds,
defined as "addictive feeds," without age verification
or parental consent.
This bill would prohibit social media platform
operators from notifying minors from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00
a.m.
This bill would require social media platform
operators to disclose certain information regarding the
algorithms that influence which media is prioritized to
users.
This bill would also authorize the Attorney
General to bring suits to enforce this act provided
that operators of social media platforms may cure any
violation.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
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TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to social media; to provide age-verification
requirements for social media platforms that host addictive
feeds; to prohibit social media platform operators from
notifying minors during certain hours; to require social media
platform operators to disclose certain information regarding
media-prioritization algorithms used on their platforms; and
to authorize the Attorney General to enforce this act.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. For the purposes of this act, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) ACCESSIBLE USER INTERFACE. An interface that
requires minimal user interactions, such as clicks, taps, or
swipes, for a user to input data, make a choice, or take an
action while using an addictive social media platform.
(2) ADDICTIVE FEED. A website, online service, online
application, or mobile application, or a portion thereof, in
which multiple pieces of media generated or shared by users of
a website, online service, online application, or mobile
application, either concurrently or sequentially, are
recommended, selected, or prioritized for display to a user
based in whole or in part on information associated with the
user or the user's device, unless any of the following
conditions are met:
a. The recommendation, selection, or prioritization is
based on information that is not associated with the user or
user's device and does not concern the user's previous
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user's device and does not concern the user's previous
interactions with media generated or shared by other users.
b. The recommendation, prioritization, or selection of
media is based on user-selected privacy, user-enabled
accessibility settings, or technical information concerning
the user's device.
c. The user expressly and unambiguously requested that
specific media, media by a specified author, creator, or
poster of media to which the user has subscribed, or media
shared by users to a page or group to which the user has
subscribed. This condition is not met if the media is
recommended, selected, or prioritized for display based in
whole or in part on other information associated with the user
or the user's device.
d. The user expressly and unambiguously requested that
specific media, media by a specified author, creator, or
poster of media the user has subscribed to, or media shared by
users to a page or group the user has subscribed to, be
blocked or deprioritized for display. This condition is not
met if the media is not blocked or deprioritized based on
other information associated with the user or the user's
device.
e. The media is part of direct and private
communications.
f. The media recommended, selected, or prioritized is
in response to a specific search inquiry by the user.
g. The media recommended, selected, or prioritized for
display is exclusively next in a preexisting sequence from the
same author, creator, poster, or source.
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same author, creator, poster, or source.
h. The recommendation, selection, or prioritization is
necessary to comply with this act and any rules adopted
pursuant to this act.
(3) ADDICTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. A website, online
service, online application, or mobile application that offers
or provides users an addictive feed as a significant part of
the services provided by the website, online service, online
application, or mobile application.
(4) COVERED MINOR. A user of a website, online service,
online application, or mobile application in Alabama when the
covered operator has actual knowledge the user is a minor.
(5) COVERED OPERATOR. Any person who operates an
addictive social media platform. The term does not include
Internet service providers, data center operators, or similar
providers of services that are necessary for users to access
an addictive social media platform but that do not offer a
platform or addictive feed through the service.
(6) COVERED USER. A user of a website, online service,
online application, or mobile application in Alabama who is
not acting as an operator, or agent or affiliate of the
operator, of the website, online service, online application,
or mobile application, or any portion thereof.
(7) MEDIA. A piece of text, an image, or a video.
(8) MINOR. An individual under 18 years of age.
(9) PARENT. The parent or legal guardian of a minor.
(10) REASONABLE AGE-VERIFICATION METHOD. Any
commercially available software, application, program, or
methodology that, when enabled, provides reasonable assurances
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methodology that, when enabled, provides reasonable assurances
that any individual accessing certain published material is 18
years of age or older.
(11) WEIGHT. An individual numeric setting that
controls the output of an addictive feed's algorithm at a high
level across an addictive social media platform's user base,
such as the relative contributions of different factors to how
media is prioritized.
Section 2. (a) It shall be unlawful for a covered
operator to provide an addictive feed to a covered user
unless:
(1) The operator employs a reasonable age-verification
method on the addictive social media platform to provide
reasonable assurance that individuals under 18 years of age
cannot access the addictive feed ; or
(2) The covered operator has obtained verifiable
parental consent to provide an addictive feed to a covered
minor.
(b)(1) Information collected for the purpose of
obtaining age-verification or parental consent shall not be
used for any other purpose and shall be deleted immediately
after an attempt to obtain age verification, except where
necessary for compliance with any applicable state or federal
law.
(2) If an operator, intentionally or unintentionally,
shares any consumer information collected for the purpose of
obtaining age-verification or parental consent in violation of
subdivision (1), the operator shall be liable to the party
injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper
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injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper
proceeding for redress.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as
preventing any action taken in good faith to restrict access
to or availability of media which the covered operator
considers to be obscene or otherwise objectionable.
Section 3. Each covered operator shall provide an
accessible user interface on his or her addictive social media
platform which gives covered users the option to expressly and
unambiguously communicate their preferences about the types of
items to be recommended and to be blocked in the website's,
service's, or application's output. Covered operators shall
take all reasonable steps to ensure that the media selected
for display is consistent with those preferences.
Section 4. It shall be unlawful for the covered
operator of an addictive social media platform to send
notifications to a covered minor between the hours of 12:00
a.m. and 6:00 a.m .
Section 5. Nothing in this act shall be construed as
requiring the operator of an addictive social media platform
to give a parent any additional or special access to or
control over the data or accounts of his or her minor child.
Section 6. Other than as necessary for compliance with
this act, a covered operator shall not withhold, degrade,
lower the quality, or increase the price of any product,
service, or feature to a covered user due to the covered
operator being prohibited from providing an addictive feed to
a covered minor under Section 2(a) or due to the user's
exercise of any rights contained in Section 3.
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exercise of any rights contained in Section 3.
Section 7. (a) A covered operator that administers an
addictive feed shall prominently and conspicuously provide on
the operator's website, service, or application:
(1) A description of each algorithmic system that is in
use by the covered operator;
(2) A description of each source of input to each
algorithmic system used in any deployed addictive feed and the
source of the data of each input; and
(3) A description of the weights used in each addictive
feed. The covered operator shall categorize each weight into
four quartile groups according to each weight's relative
importance in contributing to the system's output.
(b) A covered operator shall disclose on the addictive
social media platform, on an annual basis, the high-level
objectives, key results, and performance metrics the covered
operator uses to evaluate product teams responsible for
addictive feed design. This disclosure must be accessible by
the general public.
Section 8. (a) This act shall apply to conduct that
occurs in whole or in part in the State of Alabama. For
purposes of this act, conduct takes place wholly outside of
Alabama if the addictive social media platform is accessed by
a user who is physically located outside of Alabama.
(b) Nothing in this act shall be construed to impose
liability for commercial activities or actions by operators
that is inconsistent with the treatment of such activities or
actions under 15 U.S.C. § 6502.
Section 9. (a) No earlier than April 1, 2027, whenever
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Section 9. (a) No earlier than April 1, 2027, whenever
it appears to the Attorney General, either upon complaint or
otherwise, that any person, within or outside the state, has
engaged in any of the acts or practices in violation of this
act, the Attorney General shall:
(1) Send a notice to the operator that informs the
operator there has been a violation under this act, provides
factual information regarding the specific violation, and
informs the operator that the operator has 30 days to remedy
the violation before any action will be taken by the Attorney
General. If the operator remedies the violation within 30 days
following receipt of the notice, the Attorney General may not
bring any action or proceeding under subdivision (2); and
(2) If the operator fails to remedy the violation
within 30 days following receipt of a notice, bring an action
or special proceeding in the name and on behalf of the State
of Alabama to do any of the following:
a. Enjoin any violation of this act.
b. Obtain restitution of any monies or property
obtained, directly or indirectly, by a violation of this act.
c. Seek forfeiture of any profits or gains obtained,
directly or indirectly, including, but not limited to, the
destruction of unlawfully obtained data.
d. Obtain damages caused, directly or indirectly, by a
violation of this act.
e. Obtain civil penalties of up to five thousand
dollars ($5,000) per violation.
f. Obtain any other and further relief as the court may
deem proper, including preliminary relief.
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deem proper, including preliminary relief.
(b) The Attorney General shall maintain a website to
receive complaints, information, or referrals from members of
the public concerning a covered operator's or social media
platform's alleged compliance or noncompliance with this act.
Section 10. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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