United States of America: Act to amend the Social Media Safety Act (SB 611) was adopted

On 15 April 2025, an Act to Amend the Social Media Safety Act (SB 611) was adopted by the Arkansas Legislature. The Bill amends the definition of a minor from under 18 years to under 16 years of age. It requires social media platforms to implement reasonable age verification, default to the most protective privacy and safety settings for minors, and cease non-safety notifications between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. CST, with parental modification possible. The Bill obliges platforms to conduct quarterly audits for addiction-driven behaviours, prohibit practices designed to evoke compulsive engagement, and provide parents with online dashboards to monitor and restrict their child’s usage. Civil liability is expanded, allowing parents or guardians to bring private actions, with penalties raised to USD 10'000 per violation and fines directed to a newly created Crimes Against Children Fund. Platforms are also required to deploy technological measures to prevent circumvention of age verification protocols, including detecting suspicious activity and blocking access by minors registering outside Arkansas.