Arkansas Republican Succeeds in Mandating Age Verification for All Major Platforms

Arkansas Republican Succeeds in Mandating Age Verification for All Major Platforms

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas legislature gave final legislative approval yesterday to a Republican senator's bill mandating that a number of major open social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Snapchat — implement age verification starting Sept. 1.

SB 396, sponsored by state Sen. Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs), also establishes that new users “under age 18 will need the express consent of a parent or guardian to create online profiles” the Arkansas Advocate reported.

Dees, a poultry plant executive who says he spends his free time in Bible study, urged the Senate to pass his bill because “teens and children are being exposed to harmful people and inappropriate content on social media,” the Advocate reported. He also claimed that mandatory age verification for certain websites “would empower parents to protect their kids.”

A fellow Republican, Sen. Ricky Hill (Cabot) opposed Dees and called SB 396 “a communistic China bill.”

Hill argued that the new law “would pick winners and losers, expose Arkansans’ sensitive personal information and hamper personal freedom,” the Advocate reported.

“We’re wanting to put something into law that’s not going to change anything, except we’re going to have our identity stolen,” Hill said. “Let’s be parents.”

The bill creates financial and criminal liability for each instance of non-compliance, and applies only to “the largest social media companies, like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram; TikTok; Twitter; Snapchat and others,” the Advocate noted. “It does not apply to platforms that generate less than $100,000,000 in gross annual revenue, and is written in a way that exempts some platforms, like YouTube, LinkedIn, online video games, email and messenger services, streaming sites and e-commerce.”

The law is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who stated last month her belief that “Big Tech exploits children for profits.”

As XBIZ reported, Dees is also the main sponsor of another Republican bill, SB 66, which would require age verification before “entering a website offering pornography” and is currently being debated in the state senate.

Main Image: Anti-porn Arkansas State Senator Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs) (Photo: Arkansas Senate)

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

JustFor.fans' Dominic Ford Featured in Wired Magazine

JustFor.fans Founder and CEO Dominic Ford is featured in a new article in Wired Magazine, titled "The Internet Revolutionized Porn. Age Verification Could Upend Everything."

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos Joins ProDx Health Advisory Board

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos has joined the Advisory Board of ProDx Health.

Aylo Fined $5 Million as FTC, Utah Settle Safety Practices Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission and the state of Utah on Wednesday settled a complaint against Aylo, requiring the company to pay a $5 million penalty and implement measures to prevent illegal content from appearing on its sites.

New AI Companion Platform 'Pornstar.love' Launches

Pornstar.love, a new AI companion platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support, Stripchat to Host 'Navigating Thoughts of Suicide' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Stripchat are hosting a free online support group to help performers deal with suicidal ideation.

Plaiir Names Cade Maddox as Lead of Creator Relations

Networking platform Plaiir has appointed Cade Maddox as its new lead of creator relations.

Go.cam Launches 'One-Line Integration' Verification Solution

Go.cam has introduced a one-line code integration for age verification.

XBIZ Amsterdam to Debut 'Behind the Lens' Screening Series

XBIZ is pleased to announce the debut of “Behind the Lens,” a new screening series presenting discussions with noted directors, taking place at the upcoming annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam.

'White Rabbit' Party Headed for XBIZ Amsterdam

XBIZ is pleased to announce the White Rabbit Party, an XBIZ Amsterdam special event set to take place Wednesday, Sept. 3.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Speaker Lineup Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full speaker lineup for XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, the latest edition of Europe’s biggest adult industry conference, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel in Amsterdam.

Show More