Nebraska is the latest state that has cracked on how children can use social media. The governor of the state, Jim Pallin, recently signed the law, which aims to restrict some of the features of social media, which lends children to the platform. The final bill was signed, called the online design code Act, according to the age, companies will need to offer time limit on use, limit certain varieties of content and provide historical feeds instead of algorithmic, which promotes unlimited scroll.
According to age, the online design code Act, also known as LB504, details that social media companies can only collect at least personal data from consumers, and offer parents more tools so how their children use their accounts. In addition to these restrictions, the law prohibits any advertisement on gambling, alcohol, tobacco or drugs from reaching children on social media.
Along with the LB504, the signed package of the bills includes LB140, which limits the use of students ‘smartphones in schools, LB383, which requires social media companies to confirm their customers’ age and require parent consent to create accounts, and LB172, which produces AI-Generatic Personal.
“Collectively, all these bills have an incredible impact on helping our teachers and providing our children an opportunity to teach our children instead of disrupting our schools,” Palin said in a press release. “They also provide tools to parents they need to protect them from big tech online companies and hunters.”
The law is set to be enforced on January 1, 2026, and any company that violates these new rules and regulations will face a urban penalty. Nebraska is the latest state to restrict the use of social media for minors, but Texas is also trying to approve a similar ban. With further efforts to organize social media, the Internet advocate organization, the lower, including Google, Meta and X, has criticized the efforts of these states, and argued that they violate the rights of the first amendment and the confidentiality of the user. In 2022, California signed a similar law to protect underage consumers, but since then it has been in a legal battle that claims violating the rights of free speech after the case filed by Names.
