- State lawmakers have heard testimony in recent weeks about the harms social media poses to children, with Texas House members placing a particular emphasis on the gaming platform Roblox
- State Representative Jared Patterson and State Senator Adam Hinojosa, who unsuccessfully championed legislation to ban minors from creating social media accounts last session, have said they will try again to implement a ban next session
- Last year, lawmakers passed the App Store Accountability Act to give parents control over apps downloaded by their children
As state lawmakers gear up for the start of the next legislative session in January, Republican leaders in both chambers have made it clear that protecting children online will continue to be a priority.
In recent weeks, the State Affairs committees of both the Texas House and Texas Senate have held hearings about protecting minors online, with a particular emphasis on online gaming platforms such as Roblox.
At the hearings, lawmakers heard testimony from medical experts and others who warned of the detrimental effects social media has on children.
“I’m here to tell you that, in my opinion, social media is the number one contributor to child and adolescent mental health problems in America today,” said Dr. Daniel Flint, a pediatric psychologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, in his testimony to the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee on September 14.
“My clinical recommendation for my own patients and my own loved ones is complete non-participation in social media until the adolescent is an adult.”
Members of the Texas House State Affairs Committee focused on Roblox, an online video gaming platform that is popular with children. Last year, the Texas Attorney General’s Office sued Roblox, alleging that it fails to protect children from predators on its platform. Roblox also drew attention from lawmakers after it was discovered that it featured a video game that recreated the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde.
While Roblox was invited to provide live testimony to the House State Affairs Committee, it declined. The company did provide written testimony to the Committee, in which it defended its safety features. Roblox also addressed the game recreating the Robb Elementary tragedy, saying it removed it from the platform and banned the user who created it.
The written comments that Roblox provided were insufficient for many lawmakers.
“As Legislators it is our duty to ensure the state has the tools to keep children safe, especially on widely accessible online platforms. The vile behavior that companies like Roblox have allowed on their sites, and the abuse to our children they turn a blind eye to, would disgust any sensible parent. Since they weren’t in committee to ask them, I demand them to publicly disclose whether they profited from the despicable maps created on their platform depicting the tragic shootings at Robb Elementary, Columbine, and Parkland. Any online platform that makes a single cent from reenacting the death of children for [users’] amusement or serves as a vehicle to sexually assault and abuse our children forgo the ability to operate in our communities,” wrote State Representative Don McLaughlin, who represents Uvalde, in a social media post after the hearing.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows also reiterated his commitment to protecting children online.
“When I charged the House State Affairs Committee with examining the dangers online gaming platforms pose to minors, I expected Roblox-the very platform at the center of these concerns to be a serious partner in our work to strengthen protections for Texas children. Instead, Roblox refused to appear publicly before the committee and answer its questions. That refusal speaks volumes. A company that profits from the attention of millions of young users has a responsibility to confront serious questions about their safety, not evade them,” said Burrows in a statement after the House State Affairs Committee hearing.
“Roblox may have chosen to hide from accountability today, but it cannot hide from the consequences of its continued negligence. The Texas House will continue to demand the accountability and action necessary to protect our children.”
State Representative Jared Patterson, who unsuccessfully proposed banning minors from having social media accounts during the last legislative session, has committed to filing similar legislation next session.
“Roblox refused to testify before the Texas House State Affairs Committee today—following the same playbook as Meta and other powerful platforms that refuse to answer to the People’s House about the harm their products have caused our children. These companies have profited while young Texans have faced addiction, mental-health struggles, suicidal ideation, exploitation, and other serious harms tied to the online environments they create. Yet when Texas lawmakers ask them to show up, answer questions, and explain what they knew and what they did about it, they refuse.
Courtrooms across America are beginning to expose these harms, and nations around the world are taking stronger action to protect children online. Texas must do more. Roblox and Big Tech should be held accountable. Next session, I will do everything in my power to make that happen—and to give Texas children the strongest protections in America. Our kids come before their profits. Period,” said Patterson.
State Senator Adam Hinojosa, who was the Senate Sponsor of Patterson’s legislation to ban social media accounts for minors last session, also reiterated his support for similar legislation next session.
“Last session, I sponsored HB 186, which would prohibit social media platforms from allowing minors to open accounts. Since then, even more information has come to light about the negative impact these platforms can have on our children. Parents are doing everything they can, but you cannot out parent an algorithm designed to prey on your children. Protecting Texas kids online means taking a serious look at the responsibility these companies have for the products they put in front of them,” remarked Hinojosa.
Last year, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2420 – the App Store Accountability Act – which requires parental consent before a minor can download an app. The legislation, which was authored by State Senator Angela Paxton, sponsored by State Representative Caroline Fairly, and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott, is currently the subject of a pending court challenge.
In July, the United States Supreme Court allowed state officials to continue enforcing the law while the legal challenge remains pending.
