CTIA Raises Privacy Concerns Over Utah Social Media Law

The wireless communications industry opposes Utah's allowing phone subscriber information to be used to identify and verify the ages of social media users, CTIA State Legislative Affairs Director Jake Lestock told Utah Commerce Department officials Wednesday. Utah’s Consumer Protection Division held a public hearing on proposed rules for the Utah Social Media Regulation Act. The state legislature passed the bill in March. The new law went into effect in May, but enforcement doesn’t begin until March 2024. CTIA supports the intentions of the underlying law and rulemaking but has a “very narrow concern” about subscriber data being used to verify users. It’s “not appropriate for numerous reasons,” including “regulatory considerations, for mobile subscriber data to be used to verify identity, age and familial relationships,” said Lestock. The public has until Feb. 5 to comment on the proposed rules.