Overview
- Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Children's Social Media Safety Act, which requires platforms to stop using algorithmic recommendations for minors and show feeds only from accounts a child follows in chronological order.
- The law hides minors' profiles from adult strangers, blocks notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., shields precise location data, and restricts in‑app digital currency transactions to reduce privacy and safety risks.
- Companies must deploy an age‑assurance system that does not rely on IDs or facial recognition and that uses a parent‑set device signal to trigger the law's protections with parental ability to adjust settings.
- The statute takes effect on January 1, 2028, and sets penalties for noncompliance at $50,000 per violation while exempting services such as news sites, broadband, email and learning management systems.
- Supporters say the law shifts responsibility from platforms to parents and design rules, and critics warn it may prompt legal challenges over verification and free‑speech questions as similar rules appear in other U.S. states and countries.