Governor Spencer Cox signed two measures restricting how easily children in the state can access platforms like TikTok and Twitter, setting the precedent in the U.S.
The new laws require setting up age verification on platforms and that parents approve their minor children's requests to sign up for social media, allowing parents access to those accounts, putting in place designated times that children can be logged onto social media (banning use from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.), and easing the possibility of lawsuits for platforms causing harm.
Utah state Senator Michael McKell (R-25th District), who introduced the bill, said the goal was to protect children.
"As a lawmaker and parent, I believe this bill is the best path forward to prevent our children from succumbing to the negative and sometimes life-threatening effects of social media," he told CNN in a statement.
The legislation comes just a day after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was grilled on Capitol Hill, with senators questioning, among other things, the app's safety and security practices and how it impacts the mental wellbeing of children.
Despite passing the regulations, it remains unclear how Utah will enforce them even as social media platforms intend to challenge the laws before implementation in 2024.
Essex Mayor Calvin Kinney cited safety of the public and parade participants in refusing “parade participants geared toward the promotion of, or opposition to, the politically charged topic of gender and/or sexual identification/orientation."
They will consider a short-term funding measure to keep government offices fully functioning and provide emergency funding for Ukraine and federal disaster funds.
A former organizer of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group was sentenced on Thursday to 17 years in prison for spearheading an attack on the U.S. Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 presidential election.
