Gov. Maura Healey announced Tuesday a proposal to require social media companies to deactivate certain addictive features and notifications, and to limit platform use for users under the age of 18.
Healey said it is a "complimentary" proposal to the social media legislation passed by the House last week and that it is being filed within a supplemental budget. No details about the supp were provided at a press conference Tuesday.
Healey's legislation would require that social media companies deactivate addictive features like infinite scrolling and auto-play, limit platform use to two hours a day, turn off location tracking, and restrict notifications overnight and during school hours for users under 18 years old, Healey's office confirmed. The proposal would require parental consent to change default settings for users who are 15 years and younger, Healey said.
The proposal also bans addictive algorithms that target content towards young people based on what they have viewed in the past, she added.
"This isn't a ban, but it is deactivation," Healey said at a State House press conference.
The House last Wednesday passed a bill that would ban social media use for children under 14, require that social media platforms obtain parental consent for users aged 14 and 15, and ban student cellphone use during the school day. Reps added language in the final bill aimed at addressing addictive feeds and protecting certain vulnerable groups.
Healey pitched her social media proposal as a way to "take the power away from social media platforms and give that power to young people and to parents."
"It's a matter of control, and it's my view that the social media platforms have already shown over the last decade that they are not responsible caretakers or protectors of our young people," Healey said.
Also under Healey's legislation, social media companies would be required to send periodic reminders to users about the impacts of social media on social, emotional and physical health.