North Texas Republican files bill to ban social media for Texans under 18

[TexasTowelie]

A North Texas Republican wants to ban social media for Texans under the age of 18.

State Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, filed House Bill 896 this week that would require social media users to show two forms of photo identification to verify their age.

The bill would also allow parents to demand their children’s accounts be removed and give the Texas Attorney General’s office the ability to enforce any violations.

Most social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram, require users to be 13 but do not ask for proof.

A recent survey by the nonprofit Common Sense Media found that 38% of tweens — ages 8 to 12 — reported using social media in 2021, a 7% jump since 2019.

Read more: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/12/09/north-texas-republican-files-bill-to-ban-social-media-for-texans-under-18/

[hildegaard28]

1. Gee

Whatever happened to parental rights, Republicans?

[peppertree]

5. "Only if y'all agree with us"

"Just so we're not unfair or nothin', hear?"

[peppertree]

2. North Texas should be renamed North Korea

I lived in the area for a while. Anything north of Dallas/Ft. Worth is totalitarian central.

[Casady1]

3. will sink like an anchor.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. How's that 'small government' 'freedumb party' workin' out for you Repubes?

[Deuxcents]

6. That was my first thought.

[walkingman]

7. That is silly but I do think that phone usage in school is bad - it should be checked

at the classroom door. Maybe it's because I am old and could care less about smart phones but almost everyone I see is constantly checking their phone?? What's up with that?

[kimbutgar]

10. I purposely don't sub in middle or high school because of the kids on the cells phones and weak

Rules within schools turning a blind eye to cell phone usage.

If I was a app developer I’d make an app for parents to disable kids cells phones during school hours the only calls allowed should be to parents and 911.

[70sEraVet]

11. I like your app idea.

[kimbutgar]

12. I wish I was smart enough to develop it.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

8. I doubt it's enforceable

Christian conservatives, who used to advocate for internet monitoring software, like Net Nanny, were generally quick to concede that the average 10 year old could circumvent it in under 2 minutes.

My kids are grown, but I have some sympathy with this. I was very pleased my kids weren't super interested in Instagram or Tiktock.

[Diamond_Dog]

9. Good luck with that.

As another poster mentioned, the average 10-year-old will find a way around it.

How about if these idiot Republicans (and they’re all over, not just in Texas) concern themselves with actual problems, like climate change, health care equity, affordable housing, good paying jobs? Nah, they waste time on garbage like this.