A group of Michigan parents and legislators renewed the push Friday for the state House to take action on a package of bills meant to protect children from "addictive" social media feeds and AI chatbots.
The package of bills, referred to as “Kids Over Clicks,” passed in the Democrat-controlled state Senate in late April, but so far has not made it to a vote in the Republican-controlled state House.
“This is not political, it is not partisan and it needs to move right now,” said Democratic state senator Kevin Hertel, who sponsored some of the bills. “Our kids’ future and safety depend on what we do.”
'She had an entire life ahead of her'
The bills would make it illegal for social media companies to present “addictive” feeds to underage users, including targeted content and ads. One of the bills would also restrict AI chatbot usage.
Parents who say their kids were harmed by social media addiction have spoken out in favor of the bills.
On Friday, during a zoom call organized by supporters of the bill, Charay Gadd told the story of her daughter, London, who died by suicide in 2024.
“She had dreams, she had a future, she had an entire life ahead of her,” Gadd said.
“Our family did everything parents are told to do. We limited screentime. We had rules about phones at night. No phones during family meals or vacations. We were involved. We were present. We were paying attention, and it still wasn’t enough,” she continued.
After London’s death, Gadd said she looked through her daughter’s digital history. She found “innocent childhood searches” had resulted in her daughter seeing content about self-harm and suicide.
“No 12-year-old should have to navigate that world,” Gadd said, “and no parent should have to discover it after burying their child.”
This summer, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed to a settlement with 47 states over allegations that its platforms hurt children. As part of the settlement, the tech giant agreed to changes to how it presents content to younger users, including blocking notifications during school and at night. Meta also agreed to pay up to $17 billion to states. Michigan is set to receive at least $171 million from the settlement.
Dayna Polehanki, a Democratic state Senator who sponsored the bill restricting the use of AI chatbots for minors, said she wondered about the impact of the legislation after the settlement was announced.
“I had the question, 'Do we even need to do this package anymore?'” Polehanki said. “And the answer is a definitive, absolutely yes.”
Polehanki said the Meta settlement makes no mention of AI and it’s restricted to Meta’s products, Facebook and Instagram. She said the legislation is needed to protect kids from other platforms, including YouTube and TikTok.
What's next with 'Kids Over Clicks' bills
The Kids Over Clicks package includes SB 757, 758, 759 and 760.
If the bills pass and become law, they’ll likely face a legal challenge.
NetChoice, an industry group representing tech companies, has sued to block similar legislation in other states, including Georgia and Arkansas. NetChoice argues content restrictions for minors violate the First Amendment.
On Thursday, a panel of federal judges in George lifted an injunction against SB 351, the Georgia law that restricts social media accounts for users under 16. NetChoice said it will continue to fight against the law.
