SB343: SB343 Age Verification of Account Holders; providers of social media platforms from permitting a minor aged 14 years or younger to be an account holder; prohibit

25 LC 56 0265 Senate Bill 343 By: Senators Hatchett of the 50th, Strickland of the 42nd and Tillery of the 19th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 39-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to age1 verification of account holders, minors, and information relati ng to available content2 censorship or moderation features, so as to prohibit providers of social media platforms from3 permitting a minor aged 14 years or younger to be an account ho lder; to provide for an4 effective date; to provide for related matters; to repeal confl icting laws; and for other5 purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Code Section 39-6-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to age verification9 of account holders, minors, and information relating to availab le content censorship or10 moderation features, is amended by revising subsection (c) as follows:11 "(c) No provider of a social media platform shall permit a minor aged 14 years or younger12 to be an account holder. No provider of a social media platform shall permit a minor older13 than 14 years of age to be an account holder unless such provider obtains the expre ss14 consent of such minor's parent or guardian. Acceptable methods of obtaining express15 consent from a parent or guardian include:16 S. B. 343 - 1 - 25 LC 56 0265 (1) Providing a form for the minor's parent or guardian to sig n and return to the social17 media platform by common carrier, facsimile, email, or scanning;18 (2) Providing a toll-free telephone number for the minor's parent or guardian to call to19 consent;20 (3) Coordinating a call with the minor's parent or guardian us ing videoconferencing21 technology;22 (4) Collecting information related to the minor's parent's or guardian's government issued23 identification or financial or payment card information and del eting such information24 after confirming the identity of the parent or guardian;25 (5) Allowing the minor's parent or guardian to provide consent by responding to an email26 and taking additional steps to verify the parent's or guardian's identity; and27 (6) Any other commercially reasonable method of obtaining cons ent using available28 technology."29 SECTION 2.30 This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025.31 SECTION 3.32 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.33 S. B. 343 - 2 -