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Dear LD25 Friends,
As technology continues to shape how we communicate, learn, and engage with the world, it is becoming increasingly clear that social media platforms play a powerful role in our daily lives, especially for young people.
With that influence must come accountability. Our stakeholder meetings have been eye-opening. Something MUST be done.
Over the past several weeks, I have been focused on advancing legislation that protects free speech, increases transparency, and ensures that parents, not platforms, are in control when it comes to their children.
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A vast majority of parents want control over children's social media, with 89% supporting laws requiring parental permission for creating accounts.
Additionally, 85% believe they should have complete access to their kids' social media profiles, and roughly 80% support mandatory age verification. Source
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Holding Big Tech Accountable
As a parent, I want to be the one who has the only say on what my children have access to online. It is important to protect parents' ability to carry out their responsibilities to look after the welfare of their children without Big Tech dictating what minors are exposed to on social media.
Recent reporting and public discussion have highlighted growing concerns about how social media platforms moderate content, influence public discourse, and impact users, particularly minors.
Examples like these continue to raise important questions about transparency, fairness, and responsibility:
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At the same time, efforts at both the state and national level are beginning to address these concerns. Arizona’s Attorney General has also taken steps to hold social media companies accountable for practices that may harm consumers, especially children:
https://www.azag.gov/holding-social-media-companies-accountable
These developments reinforce what many parents already know: more transparency and accountability are needed.
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HB2920: Transparency and Accountability
HB2920 focuses on bringing greater transparency to social media platforms.
When companies control what content is promoted, filtered, or suppressed, users deserve to understand how those decisions are made, especially when Arizona minors are involved.
This legislation works to ensure that platforms operating in our state provide clearer information about their practices and cannot operate entirely behind the scenes.
Transparency is the first step toward accountability, and it empowers both users and parents to make informed decisions.
Read HB2920: https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/57leg/2R/bills/HB2920P.pdf
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SB1747: Protecting Minors Online
SB1747 builds on that effort by focusing specifically on protecting minors in the digital space.
As more children and teenagers spend time online, it is essential that safeguards are in place to prevent harmful practices and ensure that platforms take responsibility for how their services impact young users.
This bill emphasizes the role of parents, strengthens protections for minors, and establishes clearer expectations for companies operating in this space.
It is about creating a safer online environment while still respecting individual freedoms.
Read SB1747: https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/57leg/2R/bills/SB1747S.pdf
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I care about Arizona families and want to ensure that they have protections in place, especially for our most vulnerable: our children.
Together, these efforts represent a balanced approach; protecting free speech while ensuring that powerful technology platforms are not operating without oversight or accountability.
As we continue this work, I remain committed to standing with Arizona families, defending constitutional rights, and ensuring that our laws keep pace with the challenges of a rapidly changing digital world.
Thank you for staying informed and engaged.
Sincerely,
Michael Carbone
Majority Leader, Arizona House of Representatives
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| What should be the top priority when it comes to social media and minors? |
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