Healey backs teen social limits
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she supports age‑based default settings and other restrictions aimed at protecting children on social media platforms. (NBC Boston reported Healey’s backing, and the Eagle‑Tribune outlined how proposals would limit features for younger users.) (nbcboston.com) (eagletribune.com)
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey wants social media apps to switch on stricter protections by default for teenagers, including a two-hour daily limit for users under 18. (mass.gov) Healey announced the proposal on April 14 and said it would require age assurance systems, turn off infinite scroll, auto-play and algorithm-based feeds for minors, and block notifications during school hours and overnight. (mass.gov) The plan would also disable location tracking for under-18 users, require reminders about time spent on apps, and let only a parent or guardian change the default settings for users 15 and younger. (wcvb.com) Healey framed the bill as an alternative to an outright ban for younger children, saying “this isn’t a ban” but a set of default protections aimed at features she called addictive. (wgbh.org) The proposal landed one week after the Massachusetts House passed a tougher bill on April 8 that would require platforms to block children under 14 from opening accounts and require parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. (malegislature.gov) That House bill also folded in a statewide school cellphone ban from arrival to dismissal, while the Senate had already passed a bell-to-bell cellphone measure on July 31, 2025, by a 38-2 vote. (malegislature.gov) (wgbh.org) The practical fight now is over how strict Massachusetts wants to be with youth tech rules and how platforms would enforce them. Healey said her bill is “complementary” to the House approach and wants both ideas in the final package. (wcvb.com) (wgbh.org) Questions about enforcement surfaced immediately. Asked how one company could measure a teenager’s total time across different apps, Healey said platforms already know extensive data about users, and Deputy Attorney General Sara Cable said companies would have to figure out the mechanics. (wgbh.org) Critics of the House bill have argued that mandatory age checks can force platforms to collect more personal data and create privacy risks, especially for users who rely on anonymity online. (wgbh.org) Massachusetts now has three power centers in the same debate — the governor, the House and the Senate — and any youth social media law will have to survive negotiations before the formal session ends this year. (axios.com)
