Georgia joins states seeking parental permission before children join social media

By JEFF AMY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia could join other states in requiring children younger than 16 to have their parents’ explicit permission to create social media accounts. Lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to a bill that would also ban social media use on school devices and internet services. It would require porn sites to verify users are 18 or over and mandate additional education by schools on social media and internet use. A number of other states including Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Utah have passed laws requiring parental consent for children to use social media. But opponents warned that the Georgia bill would cause problems.