LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Republican lawmakers have come up with a new pastime: finding creative new ways to make teenagers furious. Enter House Bill 4388 – the Social Media Regulation Act – a sweeping proposal that slaps curfews, parental surveillance, and age- verification rules on every minor daring to open TikTok after 10:30 p.m.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills), would require platforms with more than 5 million users – think Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat – to verify the age of every Michigan account holder. If the user is under 18, a parent must sign off with their consent in order for a minor to have an account.
Parental permission required. Teen privacy not included.
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Under the bill, minors can only use social media with explicit parental consent – and that consent comes with a key to the kingdom. Parents would receive full access to their child’s posts and every message they send or receive. Yes, every single one. Consider it a built-in digital tattletale feature – and definitely not something that’s going to go over well with Michigan teens.
Platforms would also be banned from showing minors in search results (unless friended), targeting them with ads, or recommending friends, groups, or content.
But HB 4388 doesn’t stop there: the Michigan Attorney General would be empowered to investigate violations and hit platforms with civil fines up to $2,500 per offense. Consumers can sue, too – which is a polite way of saying Michigan is opening a brand-new buffet for lawyers.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association testified against the bill saying, “We share Michigan lawmakers’ commitment to keeping children safe online, and we believe that goal is best achieved through approaches that respect constitutional rights and protect user privacy. Federal courts have consistently found that laws mandating age verification and parental consent violate the First Amendment.”
Teenagers grounded online: mandatory curfew edition.
Every teen account in Michigan would automatically shut down nightly from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., unless mom or dad manually lifts the digital bedtime. Tisdel argues the bill simply gives parents authority they already shoulder responsibility for. Tisdel told the House Regulatory Reform Committee on November 14, “When you have these outcomes at the back end, the parents are going to be responsible for picking up the pieces.” His testimony continued: “If you have responsibility on the back end but no authority on the front end, that’s a bad position to be in. Any of us that’s had a job where your responsibility exceeds your authority, that’s a rough spot and that’s all I’m trying to do. If parents are going to be responsible for the bad outcomes, give them some authority to intervene on the front end.”
Supporters say it’s about mental health. Opponents say it’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Supporters, including some mental health advocates, point to rising teen anxiety, depression, and social-media-fuelled insecurity. They argue that the law could help parents intervene before problems escalate. Opponents warn the bill will ignite expensive First Amendment lawsuits.
Patchwork of state-level rules nationwide.
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As of August 2025, according to Route Fifty, a digital news and analysis publication focused on state, county and local government in the United States, 13 U.S. states have enacted laws restricting minors’ access to social media, creating a patchwork of curfews, parental-consent rules and age-verification systems across the country. Several other states are weighing similar proposals, all aimed at limiting the amount of time kids spend online – though each takes a different approach, from requiring platforms to verify a user’s age to mandating tools that let parents monitor or restrict their child’s activity. The growing momentum reflects a national trend: lawmakers in both parties are searching for ways to curb online harms without triggering privacy backlash or leaving enforcement entirely to Big Tech.
If lawmakers in Michigan eventually push their legislation forward, Michigan teens would face a new digital regime: parental permission to even open and keep an account, curfew-controlled scrolling hours, and mom or dad holding the keys to their DMs. Whether the plan boosts mental health or just drives teenagers to burner phones is anyone’s guess, but one outcome is certain – if HB 4388 ever advances, it’s poised to spark a rare moment of statewide teenage unity: pure, unfiltered outrage.
