Utah Governor Spencer Cox today signed two pieces of social media regulation that will annoy the hell out of many young folks.

In the midst of a mental health crisis for the young, with social media having a starring role in this crisis, the regulation will make it so people under the age of 18 will have to get parental permission to use the service. Anyone using such services will also have to show a valid ID to use such apps.

The regulations will mean that if minors do get consent, social media companies will be banned from running ads on their accounts. These services will also be off-limits to youngsters between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. It will also mean that parents will have access to their children’s accounts – everything they post and message and respond to.

Utah is the first state to take such action, although other U.S. states have mulled similar laws that will make social media less accessible for minors. Michael K. McKell, a Republican senator in Utah, in a press release said the state is worried about teens’ mental health. He cited statistics on depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among the young, saying these things have “drastically increased.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen a time in American history where mental health has been so problematic,” McKell told NBC. “I hope we see action across the nation.”

The press release added, “Social media creation and use have been linked to these increased rates.” This is now an age-old story, one of the reasons that today TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew took a grilling from Congress today.

It became a huge story in 2021 when a Facebook Inc. (now Meta Platforms Inc.) whistleblower said the social media giant knew its services were damaging to the mental health of minors and chose to ignore it. The White House itself, under President Biden, has proposed reforms to protect young people from social media harm.

Not surprisingly, the tech industry has not met such legislation with cheers, and lobbying efforts have failed. Social media companies have said they can get this issue under control without the need for new laws. “We want teens to be safe online,” Meta said in a statement earlier this year. “We’ve developed more than 30 tools to support teens and families.”

Privacy advocates have also aired concern over far-reaching regulations, stating such laws not only take away young people’s right to air their opinions but also remove the possibility of online anonymity. “Social media provides a lifeline for many young people, in addition to community, education, and conversation,” said the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “The law, which would limit social media access and require parental consent and monitoring for minors, will incalculably harm the ability of young people to protect their privacy and deter them from exercising their rights.”

Photo: Paul Hanaoka/Unsplash