How Will Minnesota’s New Law Limit Teens’ Social Media Use?

If it feels like teenagers are glued to their phones, the numbers back you up. According to Pew Research Center data, roughly 93 percent of U.S. teens are active on at least one social media platform, and nearly half report being online almost constantly.

TikTok reaches about 68 percent of teens, Instagram around 63 percent, and Snapchat more than half. For a growing number of parents, that level of exposure is a genuine concern.

The worry has data behind it. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 48 percent of U.S. teens now say social media has a mostly negative effect on people their age, up from just 32 percent in 2022. Research also indicates teens who spend three or more hours daily on social media face roughly twice the risk of depression and anxiety.

Get our free mobile app

Minnesota Is Taking Action

In response to those numbers and family concerns, Governor Tim Walz signed bipartisan legislation Tuesday that puts Minnesota among a growing number of states taking direct action.

The new law, HF 4138, requires parental consent for any Minnesota child under 16 to obtain a social media account on major platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.

Beyond consent, the law takes direct aim at how these platforms are designed. Sources indicate the legislation bans what advocates call "addictive" features on child accounts, including infinite scrolling, autoplay video, and push notifications.

Targeted advertising directed at underage users is also prohibited, and child accounts will default to the highest available privacy settings, with parents given tools to monitor and limit usage.

Walz framed the law in direct terms. "As social media becomes more advanced," he said in a statement, "we need to make sure our families don't fall victim to the powerful companies that use kids as a testing ground to make algorithms more addictive. Privacy and safety have to come first."

What's the Timeline and How Will This Law Be Enforced?

The law takes effect in July 2027, giving platforms time to build age-estimation and consent systems into their operations.

That may feel like a long runway, but similar laws in Florida and Mississippi are already facing legal challenges from privacy advocates and Big Tech, and Minnesota's version will likely meet the same resistance before it ever reaches enforcement.

For parents, the enforcement side matters as much as the law itself. Platforms must actively work to identify underage users; it's not an honor system.

SEE NOW: Minnesota’s ‘Mushroom House’ aka ‘Flintstone House’ Is Now For Sale

Families can demand account deletion, and if platforms don't comply, Minnesota's Attorney General can pursue legal action against them directly.

Minnesota Joins a National Wave — But Not Everyone Has

To date, at least 19 other states have enacted laws addressing minor access to social media, and in 2025 alone, lawmakers in 45 states and Puerto Rico introduced related bills. Minnesota's law adds meaningful teeth to that conversation.

Wisconsin, however, went a different direction. Governor Tony Evers vetoed a similar bipartisan age-verification bill in Wisconsin last month, citing privacy concerns for state residents.