Age verification for social media approved

Nebraska minors must obtain parental consent before creating social media accounts under a bill passed by lawmakers May 14.

LB383, introduced by Whitman Sen. Tanya Storer at the request of Gov. Jim Pillen, creates the Parental Rights in Social Media Act. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, social media companies operating in Nebraska must utilize “reasonable age verification” processes to ensure anyone creating an account on their platform is at least 18 years old.

Individuals under 18 may open an account with parental consent, as long as their parent verifies their age and submits a signed document confirming such consent.

Under the bill, digitized identification cards or third-party services qualify as a reasonable age verification method. A commercial entity or third party is prohibited from retaining a person’s identifying information after verification.

LB383 also requires social media companies to provide methods for parents to monitor a minor’s account activity and include options for a parent to:
● view all posts the minor account holder makes under the social media platform account;
● view all responses and messages sent to or by the minor account holder in the social media platform account;
● control the minor’s privacy and account settings; and
● monitor and limit the amount of time the minor account holder spends using the social media platform.

The Nebraska attorney general is responsible for enforcing the act, which allows for penalties of up to $2,500 for each violation.

The measure includes provisions from Gering Sen. Brian Hardin’s LB172, which update and expand the definition of child pornography to include images generated by artificial intelligence or computers. It also criminalizes the act of knowingly receiving child pornography.

LB383 passed on a 46-3 vote.