Overview
- Gov. Maura Healey, who unveiled her plan Tuesday, proposed requiring platforms to set two-hour daily limits for users under 18 and to disable infinite scroll, autoplay and algorithmic feeds by default.
- The proposal would also turn off location tracking, block notifications during school and overnight, and require a parent to approve any changes for users 15 and younger.
- Healey’s team said platforms must figure out how a cross-app time cap would work, with officials arguing companies already share data across devices, a challenge underscored by Australia’s struggles to keep under‑16s offline despite millions of account removals.
- The move follows the Massachusetts House vote last week to ban accounts for children under 14 and to add a bell-to-bell school cellphone ban, with Healey calling her plan complementary as House and Senate negotiators work toward a single bill.
- Critics warn broad bans and age checks could expose minors’ data, limit teens’ speech, and cut off vital support for vulnerable youth who find community and health information online.