Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2881 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Hughes, Hall S.B. No. 2881
2		-	(In the Senate - Filed March 14, 2025; April 7, 2025, read
3		-	first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
4		-	April 15, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9,
5		-	Nays 0; April 15, 2025, sent to printer.)
6		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	89R11623 BCH-D
	2	+	By: Hughes S.B. No. 2881
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11	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
12	8		AN ACT
13	9		relating to the access and communications settings for accounts of
14	10		minor users of digital services.
15	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
16	12		SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 509, Business & Commerce
17	13		Code, as added by Chapter 795 (H.B. 18), Acts of the 88th
18	14		Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is amended by adding Section
19	15		509.0525 to read as follows:
20	16		Sec. 509.0525. ACCESS AND COMMUNICATIONS SETTINGS FOR
21	17		ACCOUNTS OF KNOWN MINORS. (a) A digital service provider shall
22	18		create access and communications controls for user accounts of
23	19		known minor users of the digital service in accordance with this
24	20		section.
25	21		(b) The initial default settings for the account of a known
26	22		minor user of a digital service must be set to:
27	23		(1) limit the amount of time spent using the service to
28	24		one hour each day;
29	25		(2) prohibit unsolicited messages or communications
30	26		from unknown users;
31	27		(3) prohibit any comments, likes, or reactions to
32	28		content posted by a known minor user;
33	29		(4) prohibit the public display of a known minor user's
34	30		list of friends, contacts, or followers; and
35	31		(5) prohibit the use of algorithms to automate the
36	32		suggestion, promotion, or ranking of information or content on the
37	33		digital service.
38	34		(c) A verified parent of a known minor may use parental
39	35		tools created under Section 509.054 to change the access and
40	36		communications settings on the minor's user account at any time.
41	37		SECTION 2. Section 509.054(b), Business & Commerce Code, as
42	38		added by Chapter 795 (H.B. 18), Acts of the 88th Legislature,
43	39		Regular Session, 2023, is amended to read as follows:
44	40		(b) Parental tools under this section must allow a verified
45	41		parent to:
46	42		(1) control the known minor's privacy and account
47	43		settings, including changing the default access and communications
48	44		settings on the account under Section 509.0525;
49	45		(2) alter the duties of a digital service provider
50	46		under Section 509.052 with regard to the verified parent's known
51	47		minor;
52	48		(3) if the verified parent alters the duty of a digital
53	49		service provider under Section 509.052(2)(A), restrict the ability
54	50		of the verified parent's known minor to make purchases or engage in
55	51		financial transactions; and
56	52		(4) monitor and limit the amount of time the verified
57	53		parent's known minor spends using the digital service.
58	54		SECTION 3. Section 509.056, Business & Commerce Code, as
59	55		added by Chapter 795 (H.B. 18), Acts of the 88th Legislature,
60	56		Regular Session, 2023, is amended to read as follows:
61	57		Sec. 509.056. USE OF ALGORITHMS. Except where the use of
62	58		algorithms is prohibited under Section 509.0525, a [A] digital
63	59		service provider that uses algorithms to automate the suggestion,
64	60		promotion, or ranking of information to known minors on the digital
65	61		service shall:
66	62		(1) make a commercially reasonable effort to ensure
67	63		that the algorithm does not interfere with the digital service
68	64		provider's duties under Section 509.053; and
69	65		(2) disclose in the digital service provider's terms
70	66		of service, privacy policy, or similar document, in a clear and
71	67		accessible manner, an overview of:
72	68		(A) the manner in which the digital service uses
73	69		algorithms to provide information or content;
74	70		(B) the manner in which algorithms promote, rank,
75	71		or filter information or content; and
76	72		(C) the personal identifying information used as
77	73		inputs to provide information or content.
78	74		SECTION 4. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
79	75		section, Section 509.0525, Business & Commerce Code, as added by
80	76		this Act, applies to accounts created on digital services on or
81	77		after the effective date of this Act.
82	78		(b) Digital service providers shall ensure accounts created
83	79		on digital services before the effective date of this Act comply
84	80		with Section 509.0525, Business & Commerce Code, as added by this
85	81		Act, not later than January 1, 2026.
86	82		SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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