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HB0019 • 2025

Social media-parental consent for minors required.

AN ACT relating to trade and commerce; requiring parental consent for minors under age eighteen (18) to use a social media platform; providing definitions; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Children Parental Rights
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representative Harshman
Last action
2025-02-03
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on enforcement actions by the Attorney General beyond rulemaking and remedies under the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act.

Social Media Parental Consent for Minors

This bill requires social media companies to obtain parental consent before allowing minors under age 18 in Wyoming to use their platforms.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines key terms like 'account holder', 'minor', 'social media company', and 'social media platform'.
  • Requires social media companies to get written permission from a minor's parent or guardian before the minor can create an account on any of its platforms.
  • Gives the Wyoming Attorney General authority to make rules about how parents give consent, verify it, and revoke it if needed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Minors under age 18 in Wyoming who want to use social media platforms.
  • Parents or guardians of minors under age 18 in Wyoming.
  • Social media companies operating in Wyoming.

Terms To Know

Account holder
A person who has or creates an account or profile to use a social media platform.
Minor
A resident of Wyoming under the age of eighteen (18) and not married or emancipated.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass in its current session.
  • It does not specify what happens if a minor uses social media without permission or how to handle international platforms that do not comply with Wyoming law.

Bill History

  1. 2025-02-03 House

    H Did not Consider for Introduction

  2. 2025-01-02 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2024-12-05 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
25LSO-0182
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0182
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0019

Social media-parental consent for minors required.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Harshman, Lawley, Washut and Wharff and Senator(s) Barlow and Olsen

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to trade and commerce; requiring parental consent for minors under age eighteen (18) to use a social media platform; providing definitions; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 40
‑
32
‑
101 and 40
‑
32
‑
102 are created to read:

CHAPTER 32
SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION

40
‑
32
‑
101.

Definitions.

(a)

As used in this chapter:

(i)

"Account holder" means a person who has or who creates or opens an account or profile to use a social media platform;

(ii)

"Minor" means a person who is a resident of Wyoming, who is under the age of eighteen (18) and who is not married or has not become emancipated as provided in W.S. 14
‑
1
‑
201 through 14
‑
1
‑
206;

(iii)

"Social media company" means a person that is an interactive computer service that provides a social media platform for use;

(iv)

"Social media platform" means an online forum that a social media company makes available for an account holder to create a profile, upload posts, view the posts of other account holders or interact with other

account holders or users.

40
‑
32
‑
102.

Social media platforms; parental consent required; remedies.

(a)

No social media company shall allow a minor to be an account holder on the social media company's social media platform unless the social media company obtains the express consent of the minor's parent or guardian.

(b)

Each social media company shall deny access to its social media platform for each account holder who fails to meet the verification requirements specified in subsection (a) of this section until the social media company receives the express parental or guardian consent required under subsection (a) of this section.

(c)

The attorney general shall promulgate all rules for:

(i)

The process by which a social media company can obtain parental consent for a minor seeking to open or create an account and be an account holder on a social media platform;

(ii)

The method by which a parent or guardian of a minor can provide consent for a minor to open or create an account and be an account holder on a social media platform;

(iii)

The methods by which social media companies shall verify the authenticity of the parental or guardian consent provided for a minor to open or create an account and be an account holder on a social media platform;

(iv)

The methods by which a social media company shall allow parents or guardians to revoke or withdraw consent previously given for a minor to open or create an account and be an account holder on a social media platform and for parents or guardians to revoke or withdraw nonconsent previously expressed and thereafter consent for a minor to open or create an account and be an account holder on a social media platform.

(d)

The attorney general may pursue any remedy authorized under the Wyoming Consumer Protection Act against a social media company that fails to comply with this article.

Section 2
.

The attorney general shall promulgate all rules necessary to implement this act.

Section 3
.

(a)

Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(b)

Section 1 of this act is effective July 1, 2025.

(END)

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HB0019