Mississippi will require written parental consent and age verification for youths visiting social media sites after the governor signed the Mississippi Keeping Kids Safe Online Act, HB 1224, into law, lawmakers said. The measure also allows the state attorney general to seek civil penalties for platforms that misrepresent safety features.
The law says sites must obtain written consent from a parent or guardian and use age verification tools. It also provides that sites that comply with those requirements and provide site-visited history to parents are not liable for users’ actions.
The Mississippi Department of Education must create social media safety courses for students in grades 6-12 that examine predatory behavior, cyberbullying and other online risks, the law says. The department also must publish online safety materials for schools and families, and parents may opt their children out of the courses.
The law allows the attorney general to fine companies up to $10,000 per violation and lets parents seek damages if their children are repeatedly exposed to pornographic material on a social media platform, according to the measure. The law does not define how many occurrences qualify as repeated, lawmakers said.
State Rep. Joey Hood, R., said during the House debate in February that “it is beyond time that we take affirmative steps to protect our children.” State Sen. Angela Hill, R., called the bill a “common sense” way to protect children from online predators, lawmakers said. The Attorney General’s Office, in a statement to Magnolia Tribune, said the new law “continues to prioritize the mental and physical well-being of children” and noted it is defending the Walker Montgomery Act in federal appeals and pursuing actions against several major technology companies. The law goes into effect July 1 and is similar to measures already in place in New Mexico and California.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
