The Utah Department of Commerce’s Division of Consumer Protection is now accepting public input as part of the Utah Social Media Regulation Acts (SMRA) rule-making process.
Pursuant to the rule-making requirements outlined in SMRA, starting today, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection will receive public input on several items, including the means by which a social media company may age verify an account holder and may verify parental consent.
Although the new protections of the SMRA are not in effect until March 1, 2024, separately, the Division is collecting personal experiences about the harms to minors from engaging with social media platforms from parents, guardians, educators, safety officers, researchers, etc.
“We are eager to get the rule-making process started. We want to make the public aware of both the opportunity to provide input on the rules as well as share their own experiences regarding children and youth on social media platforms,” said Utah Department of Commerce Executive Director Margaret Woolley Busse.
After considering the public input, the Division of Consumer Protection will submit rules related to the SMRA to the Office of Administrative Rules (OAR) by October 30, 2023. After OAR publishes the rules, the Division of Consumer Protection will provide an opportunity for public comment before the rule goes into effect.
The public may submit input on the rules as well as share experiences with minors on social media platforms at socialmedia.utah.gov
