United States of America: Adopted Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE Act/ HB 18) including content moderation regulation

On 28 May 2023, the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE Act/ HB 18), including content moderation regulation, was adopted by the Texas House of Representatives House. The Act would impose a duty on digital service providers to prevent minors using their services from suffering certain forms of harm, including self-harm, substance abuse, bullying, sexual exploitation, advertisements for illegal products, and deceptive marketing practices. Service providers would be required to exercise reasonable care to ensure that minors are not exposed to such content. Further, the Act would impose certain transparency requirements around advertising and the use of algorithms targeted at minors.