A groundbreaking new law took effect in Virginia on January 1, 2026, limiting social media use for children under 16 to just one hour per day on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube, unless parents provide verifiable consent for additional screen time.
The legislation, signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in May 2025, amends the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act and requires social media platforms to deploy commercially reasonable methods, including age verification mechanisms, to determine whether users are under 16 years old.
Under the new rules, social media companies bear the responsibility of enforcing the time limits. Platforms must implement systems to restrict usage once a minor reaches the one-hour threshold, though parents can adjust this limit through verifiable consent processes.
The law also includes anti-discrimination protections, prohibiting platforms from punishing users by lowering service quality, raising prices, or withholding features simply because a minor has reached their daily time limit.
However, the legislation already faces legal challenges. NetChoice, an organization representing major tech companies including Meta and Google, has filed a lawsuit in Virginia's Eastern U.S. District Court, arguing that limiting social media access for minors violates their First Amendment rights. The lawsuit contends that decisions about appropriate content for children should rest with parents, not the government.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, along with 29 other state attorneys general, has defended the law, arguing it addresses a clear problem affecting youth mental health. The legal battle is expected to set important precedents for similar legislation being considered in other states.
Exactly how the law will be enforced remains unclear, though violations could result in fines under Virginia's existing consumer protection statutes. The legislation represents one of the most ambitious attempts by any U.S. state to regulate children's social media usage.
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