Va. Children's Privacy, Social Media Bills Advance

A Virginia Senate panel cleared kids’ privacy and social media bills Wednesday. The General Laws and Technology Committee voted 14-0 for SB-359, prohibiting social media operators from providing an “addictive feed” to users younger than 18 without verifiable parental consent. The bill defines an addictive feed as “a website, online service, or online or mobile application, or a portion thereof, in which multiple pieces of media generated or shared by users of a website, online service, or online or mobile application, either concurrently or sequentially, are recommended, selected, or prioritized for display to a user based, in whole or in part, on information associated with the user or the user's device.” The committee voted 15-0 for SB-361, which would add children-specific protections to the state’s comprehensive consumer privacy law. It would prohibit data controllers from selling a child’s data or using it for targeted advertising or profiling. The House approved the similar HB-707 on Tuesday (see 2402070063).