Utah is the first US state to limit under 18s social media access

Utah has become the first US state to limit under 18s social media access.

Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, added his signature to two attempts to protect teenagers and children in the state by giving parents complete access to their kids’ social media accounts, posts, and direct messages amid growing concern about social media usage on children’s mental health and development.

In addition, parents and guardians give must give clear consent for their charges to open social media profiles on apps like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

He said: “We’re no longer willing to let social media companies continue to harm the mental health of our youth.

“As leaders, and parents, we have a responsibility to protect our young people.”

Commons Sense Media, a children’s safety campaign group called it “huge victory for kids and families in Utah”.

Their CEO, Jim Steyer continued: “It adds momentum for other states to hold social media companies accountable to ensure kids across the country are protected online.

Arkansas, Texas, Ohio and Louisiana – all Republican states – are considering passing measures like these, which have been condemned by a variety of peppel.

Ari Z Cohn, a lawyer specialising in free speech, said it threatened “significant” issues against the principle of freedom of speech and expressed concern for kids in “abusive” homes.

He continued to BBC News: “There are so many children who might be in abusive households, who might be LGBT, who could be cut-off from social media entirely.”

In response to the Beehive State’s efforts to clamp down on the negative sides of social media, the parent company of Whatsapp, Instagram and Facebook, Meta boasted about their already-existing methods to keep children safe from online harm.

A spokesperson for the Mark Zuckerberg-founded company said: “We’ve developed more than 30 tools to support teens and families, including tools that let parents and teens work together to limit the amount of time teens spend on Instagram, and age verification technology that helps teens have age-appropriate experiences.”