Whether “right” or “left”, state legislators are acknowledging the role and impact of social media on youth. House Bill 227, sponsored by Representative Lockett with cosponsors growing each day, creates some guardrails for social media companies. This legislation specifically requires age verification procedures, prohibits specific “addictive features,” and sets privacy setting requirements and parental rights around account management. It also authorizes the Attorney General to bring forth action on behalf of Kentuckians where appropriate. 


As currently written, the bill prohibits “addictive features” to be on a child’s display or feed including:

  • Push notifications
  • Auto scroll features 
  • Infinite scroll 
  • Targeted algorithms (profile-based feeds)
  • Badges, awards, tiers

These features are defined in section 1 of the bill. 

What does the research say about Addictive Platforms and impact on kids?

In a previous blog, we detailed the link between social media and youth mental health. HB 227 pays special attention to features that make social media platforms so addicting. 

The American Psychological Association (APA) details some of the science of these features noting youth and their hypersensitivity to social feedback, meaning in adolescence kids are wired to seek praise, attention, or other social stimulation. Within social media this can look like AI recommended content or tailored ad content. The APA also notes how metrics like followers, likes, and views impact relationships and how these features (infinite scroll, push notifications, use of data, etc.) are particularly addictive as youth have underdeveloped impulse control.

Testimony on HB 227

During the February 18th House Standing Committee on Small Business and Information Technology, various groups shared testimony on HB 227 including many of the impacts noted above. Staff from Attorney General Russell Coleman’s office spoke in support of the bill and noted that this bill puts “commonsense protections into law” and that social media is the “opioid fight of this generation” – making parallel the relationship between social media and its harm on kids and the potential for settlement dollars as a result of the harm. 

Opponents of the bill argued that this legislation has first amendment rights issues, privacy concerns due to age-verification processes, potential for data breaches, and noted “vague liability standards.”

We know that navigating child and youth access to the internet and social media necessitates a close analysis of the risks to safety as well as the rights of a young person. We are glad to see discourse around the issue and anticipate continued improvements to this draft legislation.

Recent Rulings Holding Social Media Companies Accountable

This past week, a jury in New Mexico ruled that Meta “knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms.” A day after, a jury in California also found Google and Meta negligent for their role in “fueling the mental health crisis.” 

One of the core arguments of this case was specifically on the ways in which these platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive. These two verdicts highlight and recognize for the first time tech companies and their role in contributing to youth harm through social media platforms and their addictive design.

You can read more about the social media lawsuits and impact on youth mental health here. 

HB 227 is not the first bill this session to address social media and acknowledge the harms on youth. You can read more about House Bill 686, one of Bloom Kentucky’s priorities, and its recent passage by the House Families & Children Committee here.

Creating a Safe Online Experience for Kids 

What is clear from the favorable passage of HB 227 by the House committee and the unanimous passage from the House floor is that legislators want to increase safety and reduce harm to kids around the “online playground” of social media. 

As the independent voice for Kentucky’s kids, we applaud these legislative efforts that are bipartisan, research-informed, and focus on centering Kentucky’s kids and families.

Track the progress of HB 227 and HB 686 on KYA’s Kentucky General Assembly Bill Tracker.