Protecting Kids: New Illinois Bill Aims to Monitor Social Media

As a parent of young kids, I am deeply concerned about the well-being and safety of my children in this digital age, but a new bill proposed in Illinois may soon give all parents better access to their kids activity on social media.

Raising Kids In a Digital Age

For several months now my daughters have been begging to start a YouTube channel so they post short videos, ("all their friends are doing it"), and I finally caved in.

I watch every video and approve it before they post it, and I also keep a close eye on the comments and activity each video gets, and unsurprisingly, it's not all good.

Before they posted their first video, I warned my girls that this world is filled with nasty people who like to post hurtful comments on social media and that they shouldn't let those opinions or comments bother them. They have since received a few negative comments, but so far, they are completely unbothered, which is good.

Basically, I am stuck in the middle of a major parenting dilemma; wanting my children to understand, embrace, and thrive in this digital world, but not wanting them to fall victim to any of its nastiness. So, what's a parent to do?

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Being a helicopter parent is not really my thing, but having more access to my kids' online activity would certainly help calm some of my anxieties.

Illinois' "Let Parents Choose Protection Act"

According to mystateline.com; an Illinois House committee has approved a new bill that would force social media companies to provide Illinois parents access to their children's activities on third-party apps like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, etc.

The "Let Parents Choose Protection Act", aka, "Sammy's Law" states that all large social media platforms would be required to  "create, maintain, and make available to any third-party safety software provider" the activity of kids 13 and younger on their platforms.

Parents in Illinois would then be able to access the provided info via another software provider to better monitor their children's social media interactions, content, and account settings.

This bill will soon be sent to the full House to vote on, and if it receives full approval, it will go into effect on August 1, 2025.

Many Illinois parents may disagree, but I think this bill would be a powerful tool to help  safeguard our children from potential online dangers and predators which seem to be growing bigger and badder every single day.