Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen was joined by the state attorney general and several lawmakers to propose legislation aimed at social media restrictions for minors, including needing parental consent to set up an account.
Pillen, AG Mike Hilgers and a host of state lawmakers proposed four bills aimed at protecting kids at a press conference in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Monday, including the "Parental Rights in Social Media Act," modeled after Florida legislation.
"Just as a parent must consent for a child to get their ears pierced, (consent) should also be required for access to platforms that collect personal data and expose children to potential harm," said state Sen. Tanya Storer, who will introduce the legislation.
"This isn't a ban," Storer said. "It's simply giving parents the control to monitor."
Another proposed bill is the "Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act," aimed at protecting kids from the harms of social media and other online services.
"This bill says algorithms shouldn't track children," said state Sen. Carolyn Bosn, who will introduce it.
Bosn said the bill puts "the best interests of children over company profits" and would give parents "the ability to have control over the child's private information through accessible and easy to use tools without undermining the First Amendment."
The other two bills are the "Child Pornography Prevention Act" and LB 140, which would require state school boards to develop policies restricting phone use while at school.
"Attorney General Hilgers and I wanted to partner together as we both have good ideas on how we can best protect kids in Nebraska. These bills will address the addictive nature of social media, prohibit the generation of AI child pornography, restrict the use of phones and electronic devices in schools and require parental consent for minors to set up social media accounts," Pillen said in a release promoting the bills.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.