Minor Access and Use of Social Media (SB 11)

This bill has an understandable and laudable goal – to protect the mental health and well-being of Hoosiers under 16. Unfortunately, courts have regularly found that bills requiring parental consent for online access to constitutionally protected materials are a violation of a minor’s First Amendment rights. We agree with this constitutional interpretation and, therefore, oppose this bill.

Parents have broad rights to restrict their child’s access to social media; the government does not. The General Assembly can tackle this issue through increasing support for parents around social media safety and/or access to mental health support for Hoosiers under 16. We would support either of these initiatives.