OLYMPIA – A bill to protect children online by placing an age verification requirement on the creation of a social media account will be heard in the Senate Business, Trade & Economic Development Committee Thursday.

Senate Bill 6111, sponsored by Senator Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline), would require providers to institute an age verification system for digital services that allows users to create a profile, engage in social interactions with other users or post content that can be viewed by others. Children 16 years old and younger would need parental consent before registering for an account.

Notably, the bill does not prevent users from browsing any website while not signed in. It will also apply restrictions on the use of data collected from a known minor and require the creation of a harm mitigation strategy to protect young users online.

“By requiring children to receive parental consent before creating a social media account, we place the power to protect children back in the hands of the people who love them,” Salomon said. “It has become clear that we cannot rely on the goodwill of tech corporations whose business models incentivize stoking our most addictive, compulsive tendencies.”

“As a parent, I believe it is time for Washington to put guard rails on social media,” said Danica Noble of the Coalition for a Media-Safe Childhood. “These addictive products are designed to maximize engagement, and the evidence is mounting that this harms the attention, academic potential, and mental health of our children.”

According to experts from John Hopkins Medical, evidence suggests that excessive social media use is associated with poor sleep, increased social comparisons and anxiety, poorer learning, and exposure to cyberbullying and negative content which can contribute to worsening depressive symptoms. In 2023, the United States Surgeon General released an advisory warning that evidence suggests social media has potential to harm the mental health of children and adolescents.

“We know, now, that the worrisome decline in youth mental health over the past two decades is a public health crisis,” Salomon added. “While many of us enjoy social media’s benefits, children are especially vulnerable to its most pernicious aspects.”

Follow the bill’s progress here.