RELATING TO SOCIAL MEDIA.

Removed the requirement for digital application store providers to verify user ages and share parental consent data with social media platforms.

Added a direct prohibition on social media platforms from allowing individuals under sixteen to create or maintain accounts if the platform knows their age.

Added a requirement for social media platforms to terminate accounts of users known to be under sixteen and to take reasonable steps to prevent underage account creation.

Added a new finding that other countries, such as Australia, have successfully banned social media for children under sixteen.

Added a specific definition for 'social media platform' that includes platforms using algorithms to steer content, while explicitly excluding business transactions, video games, videoconferencing, and educational materials.

The requirement for age verification moved from the social media platform to the digital application store provider, which must now verify user age and obtain parental consent for users under sixteen before allowing downloads or purchases.

Digital application store providers are now required to share age category data and parental consent status with social media platforms upon request.

New definitions were added for 'age category' (Young person, Older teenager, Adult), 'age category data', and 'verifiable parental consent' to clarify the verification process.

The specific prohibition on individuals under sixteen creating accounts was modified; social media platforms must now rely on data from app stores to determine if a user is a 'young person' and ensure parental consent exists.

The core requirement changed from a total prohibition on accounts for under-16s to a mandate for platforms to verify ages and obtain express parental consent for minors to hold accounts.

A new definition for 'social media platform' was added, which explicitly excludes services that only provide email or direct messaging functions.

The effective date of the law was changed from 'upon approval' to a specific future date of January 1, 2077.

New legislative findings were added detailing the psychological dependence tactics used by platforms and citing the Surgeon General's advisory on youth mental health.