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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring social media platforms to verify the age of |
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account holders on the platform. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 120, Business & Commerce Code, is |
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amended by adding Subchapter C-1 to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER C-1. USER AGE VERIFICATION |
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Sec. 120.111. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Account holder" means a resident of this state |
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who opens an account or creates a profile or is identified by the |
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social media platform by a unique identifier while using or |
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accessing a social media platform. |
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(2) "Child" means an individual who is younger than 18 |
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years of age. |
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Sec. 120.112. ACCOUNT AND VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) |
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A social media platform shall verify the age of a person seeking to |
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become an account holder before accepting the person as an account |
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holder. |
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(b) A social media platform must use a commercially |
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reasonable method that relies on public or private transactional |
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data to verify the age of an individual as required under Subsection |
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(a). |
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(c) Personal information obtained under Subsection (b) may |
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only be used for age verification purposes and may not be retained, |
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used, transmitted, or otherwise conveyed, regardless of whether |
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consideration is given for the information. The social media |
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platform must delete personal information immediately upon |
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completion of the age verification process. |
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Sec. 120.113. REQUESTED REMOVAL OF ACCOUNT. (a) Not later |
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than the 10th day after receiving a request from a parent or |
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guardian verified by a social media platform under Section 509.101, |
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the platform shall delete the account of the parent's or guardian's |
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child and cease the further use or maintenance in retrievable form, |
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or future online collection, of personal information collected from |
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the child's account, on all of its platforms. |
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(b) A social media platform must provide a reasonable, |
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accessible, and verifiable means by which a parent or guardian may |
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make a request under Subsection (a). |
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Sec. 120.114. ENFORCEMENT. (a) A social media platform |
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violates this subchapter if the platform knowingly: |
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(1) fails to verify a person's age before accepting the |
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person as an account holder; |
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(2) misuses personal information in violation of |
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Section 120.112(c); or |
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(3) fails to remove an account as required by Section |
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120.113. |
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(b) A violation of this subchapter by a social media |
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platform is considered a deceptive trade practice under Chapter 17 |
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and subject to action by the consumer protection division of the |
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attorney general's office under Sections 17.47, 17.58, 17.60, and |
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17.61. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter C-1, Chapter 120, Business & Commerce |
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Code, as added by this Act, applies only to access to a social media |
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platform on or after January 1, 2026. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |