Houchin Co-Authors Social Media Act

Houchin Co-Authors Social Media Act

Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN-09). (Washington, D.C.) – Area Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN-09) and Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04) have introduced the 16 & Up Social Media Act. The bipartisan legislation calls for establishing a national age standard of 16 for social media platforms. Rep. Houchin says the bill responds to a simple reality: platforms built on infinite scroll, autoplay, push alerts, and personalized feeds are designed to keep users hooked, and children are the least equipped to resist them. She adds the 16 & Up Social Media Act sets a bright-line rule that platforms can follow and parents can count on. “Every parent knows the feeling of watching a child disappear into a screen,” said Rep. Houchin. “These platforms were engineered by the smartest people in the world to hold attention, and they are winning that fight against our kids. Studies show that sixteen is the right line. This bill draws it clearly, applies it to every platform that uses these addictive features, and puts real enforcement behind it. Kids get their childhood back, and parents get a bright line they can rely on.” “Social media corporations addict children for profit. The exploitation must stop. Our kids deserve their childhoods back,” said Rep. Auchincloss. “Children’s wellbeing is shaped by technologies that were designed for addiction yet face almost no oversight. This is not a parenting problem. It is a structural problem, and it demands a structural response. The goal is to stop addictive design entirely. Until then, gaining access to platforms with manipulative, unsafe design needs age minimums. The 16 & Up Social Media Act delivers exactly that,” said Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist, NYU Stern School of Business, and author of The Anxious Generation. The 16 & Up Act: Sets a national age standard of 16: Prohibits covered social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts. Focuses on design features: Applies strictly to platforms that use engagement-driven design features (like infinite scroll and personalized feeds) to target users, rather than regulating content. Ensures privacy and accountability: Mandates the deletion of children’s data upon account termination and requires platforms to implement a clear, five-day appeals process for any account closures. The bill’s text can be found HERE.