Illinois Enacts Law to Shield Minors from Addictive Social Media Features
A new Illinois law, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in Chicago, aims to protect minors from addictive social media designs. The Children’s Social Media Safety Act requires platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram to strengthen privacy settings for children, limit…
Chicago, IL, July 31, 2026 —
Illinois is set to implement new regulations aimed at protecting children from the potentially addictive design features of social media platforms. Governor JB Pritzker signed the Children’s Social Media Safety Act into law in Chicago, which targets how platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram interact with young users.
The legislation mandates several key changes designed to enhance online safety for minors. Social media companies will be required to implement stronger privacy settings for all child users. Furthermore, the act stipulates that algorithmically driven content must be replaced with chronological feeds displaying content only from accounts that the minor follows. This aims to reduce exposure to unsolicited or potentially harmful content curated by platform algorithms.
Another significant provision of the law prohibits adult strangers from accessing the profiles of users identified as minors. This measure seeks to create a safer online environment by limiting unsolicited contact from unknown adults.
In addition to these measures, the Children’s Social Media Safety Act will enforce a notification blackout period for minors, restricting alerts from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. This aims to encourage healthier digital habits and protect sleep schedules.
The focus of the new law is on the design and functionality of social media platforms rather than the direct restriction of content. This approach seeks to mitigate the effects of features known to contribute to excessive use and potential addiction.
The new law is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2028. Companies found to be in violation of the Children’s Social Media Safety Act could face substantial penalties, with fines set at $50,000 per violation. The specific details regarding how violations will be identified and enforced were not provided.
Story summarized from the original created by Mitchell Armentrout on chicago.suntimes.com, see more information here.
