Illinois law restricts addictive social media features for children
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
CHICAGO, Ill., (KBSI) — Illinois social media users younger than 18 will receive stronger default privacy protections and face limits on algorithm-driven content under a new law signed Friday by Gov. JB Pritzker.
The Children’s Social Media Safety Act, House Bill 5511, passed unanimously in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. It is scheduled to take effect in 2028.
Under the law, minors’ social media feeds will generally be limited to content they search for or content shared by accounts they follow. Posts will appear chronologically instead of being selected by algorithms designed to keep users scrolling.
The law also requires platforms to:
- Disable certain notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Hide minors’ profiles and locations from adult strangers.
- Restrict messages and financial transactions between minors and unknown adults.
- Strengthen default privacy settings for users younger than 18.
Parents may override the default settings and adjust their child’s online experience.
A user’s age will be set during device setup, allowing apps to adjust their features without requiring children to submit identification or undergo facial recognition.
The requirements apply to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X, as well as gaming platforms that allow children to communicate with strangers, including Roblox. News organizations, email providers, broadband companies and learning management systems are exempt.
The law does not restrict what content minors may access. State officials said it instead targets platform design features considered addictive or harmful.
The Illinois attorney general will enforce the law and may seek civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation.
