On June 13, 2023, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (HB 18) (SCOPE Act). With this signing, Texas joins Utah and Arkansas in regulating social media and its impact on minors and their mental health.

The SCOPE Act requires covered “digital service providers” to provide minors with certain data protections, prevent minors from accessing harmful content, and give parents tools to manage their child’s use of the service. The Act also has age verification requirements for digital service providers that knowingly distribute a significant amount of “harmful” or “obscene” content.Continue Reading Texas Joins Other States in Enacting Social Media Law for Minors