Utah Republicans Continue Introducing Controversial Age Verification Bills

Utah Republicans Continue Introducing Controversial Age Verification Bills

SALT LAKE CITY — Republican state legislators in Utah have introduced two controversial age verification bills that could have nationwide ramifications.

Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R) and Sen. Michael McKell introduced HB 311 and SB 152, respectively.

SB 152 would require social media companies to verify the age of any Utah resident seeking to use or create an account on social media platforms. The rule would take effect Jan. 1, 2024.

Moreover, should a platform determine that a user is a minor — defined in both bills as anyone under 18 — SB 152 would then require social media companies “to give parents access to their kids’ accounts,” reports tech news site TechDirt’s Mike Masnick, who closely covers legal and free speech developments concerning the internet.

HB 311 goes a step further, not only requiring age verification but also forbidding anyone under 16 from having any social media accounts.

No Internet After Supper for Minors

Sen. McKell’s SB 152 would enable the parent or guardian of any minor to monitor “all posts the Utah minor account holder makes under the social media platform account” and “all responses and messages sent to or by the Utah minor account holder.”

Masnick called the proposed law’s requirement that websites hand over passwords “ridiculous,” noting that “no website should be able to access passwords themselves. They should be encrypted, meaning that even the website shouldn’t have access to the passwords in a form that they could give to parents.”

SB 152 also mandates that platforms prevent minors from accessing social media accounts between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

'Beyond Stupid'

“This is beyond stupid,” Masnick commented. “We already know how this works out, and it appears that no one in the Utah legislature bothered to do even the slightest amount of research. Most websites these days ban children under 13, to avoid having to deal with federal COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) regulations. And, because many of these services are still useful, even for kids, we’ve built a system where parents are teaching their kids to lie about their age.”

“Of course, the Utah politicians pushing this will say that such studies don’t matter, because with ‘age verification’ they won’t be able to lie,” Masnick ironized.

Free speech advocates of all political orientations are concerned about recent attempts by a few Utah politicians to censor the internet. Section 230 expert Jess Miers, of the progressive Progress Chamber think tank, and Shoshana Weissmann, digital director and fellow at free-market think tank R Street Institute, concurred with Masnick about the dangers of the Utah proposals.

HB 311, Miers tweeted, “will force websites to perform age verification on all of its users (yes, including you, even if you don't live in UT), and restricts teens from social media.”

“Because state-by-state implementation is technologically infeasible,” Miers added, “you should expect it will affect all users, of any age, from any location. Both bills (HB 311 and SB 152) currently have a strong likelihood of passing. This is not a drill.”

TechDirt’s Masnick concluded, “The evidence-free moral panic over social media keeps getting stupider, and when things get particularly stupid about the internet, you can pretty much rely on Utah politicians being there to proudly embrace the terrible ideas.”

Main Image: Utah State Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R) and Utah State Senator Michael McKell (R)

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Nerdgasm: A Look at the Naughty Side of Pop Culture Geekdom

From “Call of Duty” to cosplay, from tabletop dice rolls to dungeon-inspired dirty talk, the worlds of geek fandom and fantasy are no longer confined to the basement. They’ve kicked down the door, shed the “Firefly” tee and gone full frontal.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Moves to Outlaw Internet Pornography

A parliamentary committee of the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday approved a measure to outlaw online adult content in the country.

Sweden Bans Purchase of 'Remote' Sexual Services

The Riksdag, Sweden’s parliament, has approved a proposal to criminalize purchasing sexual services performed remotely by streamers and custom content creators.

Asa Akira to Deliver XBIZ Talk at Miami Conference

XBIZ is pleased to announce that decorated performer, Pornhub brand ambassador, and author Asa Akira is set to deliver an exclusive talk at XBIZ Miami.

JustFor.fans Launches 'Fentanyl Test Strip' Initiative

JustFor.fans (JFF) has launched a test strip initiative to combat the nationwide fentanyl crisis.

2025 XBIZ Miami Speaker Lineup Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full speaker lineup for XBIZ Miami, the latest edition of the adult industry’s premier summer conference, set to take place May 19-22 at the Nautilus Sonesta Miami Beach hotel in South Beach.

AV Bulletin: Arizona's About-Face, What New Laws Mean for Adult

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the United States. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, the U.K. and the EU are moving ahead with their own AV mandates and strategies, and legal challenges continue to play out in U.S. courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Million Billion Media Launches New Website

Management and PR agency Million Billion Media (MBM) has launched a new website.

'Neon Nightswim' Party Returns to XBIZ Miami

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the annual Neon Nightswim Pool Party will once again illuminate XBIZ Miami on Tuesday, May 20.

FSC Addresses UK Age Verification Guidelines

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an article offering guidance on the U.K.'s Online Safety Act and the various guidelines put forward by the country's telecommunications regulator Ofcom.The article follows:

Show More