Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are making a bipartisan push to reshape how young teens interact with the digital world.
Representative Erin Houchin (R-IN) and Representative Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) have introduced the 16 & Up Social Media Act, a federal bill establishing a national minimum age standard of 16 to access major social media platforms.
The legislation targets the core design mechanisms of modern platforms—including infinite scroll, autoplay features, push alerts, and personalized recommendation feeds—which proponents argue are engineered to keep children hooked. Rather than censoring specific content, the bill strictly regulates platforms relying on these engagement-driven features.
“Every parent knows the feeling of watching a child disappear into a screen,” Rep. Houchin said in a statement. “These platforms were engineered by the smartest people in the world to hold attention, and they are winning that fight against our kids. Studies show that sixteen is the right line. This bill draws it clearly, applies it to every platform that uses these addictive features, and puts real enforcement behind it.”
Rep. Auchincloss echoed the call for corporate accountability: “Social media corporations addict children for profit. The exploitation must stop. Our kids deserve their childhoods back.”
Key components of the proposed legislation include:
National Age Standard: Prohibits covered social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts.
Focus on Addictive Design: Applies specifically to services utilizing manipulative, engagement-maximizing algorithms rather than regulating online content.
Privacy and Appeals Protections: Requires platforms to immediately delete all stored personal data when an account is terminated and mandates a five-day appeals process for account closures.
The bill has gained notable backing from social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, who described the measure as a necessary structural response to unsafe technology designs.
Houchin and Auchincloss, who co-lead the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Caucus, contend the bright-line rule gives parents reliable backing while putting an end to digital exploitation of minors.
