Creates the Rhode Island Social Media Regulation act, which would not permit a Rhode Island resident who is a minor to be an account holder on a social media's platform.

Rhode Island Social Media Regulation Act – Plain English Summary

This bill would create a new law in Rhode Island called the "Rhode Island Social Media Regulation Act." Its main purpose is to ban minors — anyone under 18 years old — who live in Rhode Island from creating or holding accounts on social media platforms. In other words, if this bill became law, social media companies would not be allowed to let Rhode Island residents who are under 18 sign up for or maintain accounts on their platforms.

The bill would directly affect Rhode Island's minor residents, their parents and guardians, and social media companies that operate in the state. Young people under 18 would no longer be permitted to have social media accounts, and platforms would presumably be required to verify users' ages and remove or block accounts belonging to minors. The specific details of how enforcement would work — such as penalties for companies that don't comply or how age verification would be handled — are not described in the available bill text.

This legislation is currently in its early stages. It was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Innovation, Internet, and Technology, and was scheduled for a hearing in April 2026. The bill would need to pass through committee review, a full House vote, the Senate, and be signed by the Governor before becoming law. Similar bills have been introduced in other states, and legal questions around age restrictions on internet access have been widely debated across the country.