Utah is the first state in the nation to begin restricting how minors can use social media apps. Gov. Spencer Cox signed a pair of bills on Thursday that will regulate when and how minors in Utah can use of social media and aims to stop those companies from designing addicting features.

Those new laws will likely lead to a protracted legal fight with the tech industry over privacy and First Amendment issues.

SB152 from Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, will slap several regulations on social media companies on March 1, 2024. Those rules include:

Utah has become the first US state to require social media firms get parental consent for children to use their apps and verify users are at least 18.

The governor said he signed the two sweeping measures to protect young people in the state.

The bills will give parents full access to their children's online accounts, including posts and private messages.

The move comes amidst heightened concern over the impact of social media on children's mental health.

New laws in Utah are aimed at significantly restricting access to social media apps for children under 18 years old.

Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed two bills into law on Thursday in efforts to shield minors from addictive platforms, such as TikTok. Collectively, both laws seek to prevent children from being lured to apps and from having ads promoted to them.