Gov. Spencer Cox signs SB152 Social Media Regulation Amendments at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, March 23, 2023. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox signed two social media bills into law on Thursday afternoon. One bill requires parental permission for teens to use the sites. The other makes it the company’s responsibility to prove they’re not harming teens and allows parents to sue.
Potential court cases may be brewing over this first-in-the-nation legislation. Sen. Mike Mckell (R-Spanish Fork) sponsored one bill and Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R-South Jordan) sponsored the other.
There are questions over whether these bills violate the First Amendment, which guarantees a right to free speech. Cox argued earlier cases proving that was wrongly decided and reiterated he anticipates a lawsuit.
“I can’t wait to hold them accountable. I can’t wait to get in front of a judge and jury with these media companies. It will be one of the happiest days of my life.”
Cox even had a little Twitter spat with a prominent tech First Amendment lawyer, Ari Cohn.
“I want to make sure every family in Utah gets to see me sign those bills,” said Cox.
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