NOTE: Chapter 20-A heading eff. until July 1, 2026. See Acts 2025, No. 481, §1.
CHAPTER 20-A. PROTECTION OF CHILDREN'S INTERNET DATA
NOTE: Chapter 20-A, Part I heading as amended by Acts 2025, No. 481, §1, eff. July 1,
2026.
CHAPTER 20-A. ONLINE PROTECTIONS FOR MINORS
PART I. PROTECTION OF CHILDREN'S INTERNET DATA
§1761. Legislative findings
The legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:
(1) Technological advances over the past ten years and the advent of social media
have opened the door to children for learning and exposure to cultures and interests
worldwide.
(2) Unfortunately, data shows that over that same ten-year period, American
teenagers, ages twelve through fifteen, who use social media over three hours each day faced
twice the risk of having negative mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety
symptoms.
(3) The American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in child and
adolescent mental health recognizing that the use of social media can result in poor mental
health, poor general health outcomes, cyberbullying-related depression, body image and
disordered eating behaviors, poor sleep, and most tragically, death.
(4) The main social media platforms are well aware of the damage that they are
doing to our children, but they have largely been held unaccountable and have little desire
to self-regulate as their manipulative targeted advertising to children generated an estimated
eleven billion dollars in advertising revenue in just one year.
(5) The children of Louisiana deserve better, and since the federal government has
failed to take the necessary action to stop data sharing, selling, and targeted advertising, it
is incumbent upon Louisiana to protect our children and hold the major social media
platforms accountable.
Acts 2024, No. 656, §2, eff. July 1, 2025; Acts 2025, No. 481, §1, eff. July 1, 2026.