NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Several new and impactful state laws are set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Next week, a slew of legislation will officially become Tennessee law, including the “ Protecting Children from Social Media Act .”
The legislation, which is currently being fought in federal court, will require social media companies to verify a user’s age and allow for parental consent. Governor Lee previously said the law will “empower” parents to protect their kids while online.
In addition to safeguarding youth, the “Protect Tennessee Minors Act” will require websites with sexual content to confirm, in some way (i.e. state ID or facial recognition), that a viewer is 18 or older.
“This bill simply puts the cyber community in concert with what we do in the physical world,” Rep. Patsy Hazlewood told the Assembly back in April. “We do not allow minors to go into adult establishments, we do allow minors access to written materials that are inappropriate.”
That law is also facing pushback, with the Free Speech Coalition filing a lawsuit this month on grounds of a First Amendment violation.