Understanding The 2025 Proposed Social Media Ban For In Texas

It's turning into a pretty intense year in the Texas legislature. The hotly debated THC ban has been making headlines. Another attention-grabbing piece of legislation is the requirement that classrooms display the Ten Commandments. Now, a social media ban is being considered in the Lone Star State.

Is Texas Banning Social Media In 2025?

That's the plan for a portion of the population. HB 186 is bill that has been introduced and recently made it out of committee would create a social media ban for minors. The ban would affect anyone who is under the age of 18.

The reasons behind the ban seem noble enough. It's no secret that social media can potentially cause a lot of problems for children and teenagers. There have been numerous documentaries and studies done on the topic. This ban is supposedly just a way for the state of Texas to try and protect the children.

How Does The Social Media Ban In Texas Work?

The social media ban would work a lot like the pornography ban. Social media companies would have to come up with a way to verify that a person is at least 18 years of age to create a profile.

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The bill also requires social media sites to devise a way for a parent or guardian to delete their child's social media profile. It also states that the information attached to that profile can't be stored. It has to go as well. If a social media company doesn't comply, they'll be facing the wrath of the Attorney General's office.

How Close Is Texas To Banning Social Media For Minors In 2025?

The bill has made it out of committee, which means it is headed before the entire Texas House of Representatives. There's still a long way to go before it becomes law. It has to pass the House, pass the Senate, and then the Governor must sign off on it.

There are critics of the bill who have privacy concerns and believe that these types of decisions belong better in the hands of parents than the government. Others cite free speech concerns regarding the bill.

I wonder if Texans, under this bill, would have to upload photos of their driver license to access Facebook the same way they do Pornhub. If that becomes the case, it makes you wonder how many Texans will be willing to verify their age so they can keep looking at memes.