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Social media apps and others. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler)
The Washington state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that aims to protect kids from the potentially harmful impacts of social media apps such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube.
Senate Bill 5708 prevents social media companies from generating addictive feeds to minors based on data collected about the teens. It also forbids the platforms from delivering push notifications to kids during traditional school hours from September through May and from midnight to 6 a.m.
The measure requires platforms to allow all users, of any age, to set time limits on their use of the app and block the sharing of “likes” and other feedback.
SB 5708 passed shortly before the Legislature’s cutoff for approval. It had bipartisan support with 36 yeas, 12 nays and one excused.
The legislation was requested by Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown and supported by Gov. Bob Ferguson.
While it’s difficult to quantify the role of social media in the youth mental health crisis, many researchers claim a correlation. One-third of teens say they use YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram or Facebook “almost constantly,” according to a survey last year by Pew Research Center. At the same time, 40% of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, while 20% seriously considered suicide, based on federal data from 2023.
Opponents acknowledge these concerns, but say that tech companies are working to make their platforms safer and that the proposed rules violate free speech and other constitutional rights.
California passed laws in 2022 and 2024 regulating social media impacts on kids, and multiple provisions included in those measures are incorporated into Washington’s bills.
NetChoice, a trade association for online companies, sued to block the California laws. Subsequent court rulings have limited the enforcement of both rules, allowing some provisions to be enacted. NetChoice’s appeals are ongoing.
Opponents to Washington’s social media bills cautioned during a House committee hearing that similar legal challenges could cost taxpayers here millions of dollars — while also noting that the state is facing a $15 billion budget shortfall over the next two years.
The House must approve the Senate bill for it to become law. House committees passed that chamber’s version of the bill earlier this session, but it never went to full vote.
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