New social media law requiring parental consent comes into effect in Texas

A new law has taken effect in Texas that requires parental approval for a child to create a social media account, news reports said.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 18 into law last year, and it went into effect on September 1. The Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act requires parents to approve social media accounts for minors.

A federal judge blocked half the bill that would force social media platforms to filter out harmful content, since it’s still not clear how companies like Facebook parent Meta will comply.