SMK Act of 2025
Congress Proposes Ban on Disappearing Messages for Minors and New Parental Controls for Social Media
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would stop social media companies from letting kids under 17 use "disappearing" messages that delete themselves automatically. This is meant to help parents see what is being sent to children and prevent people from hiding harmful conversations.
- Social media apps would have to give parents tools to manage who can message their children. Parents could see a list of approved contacts and would get a notification to approve or deny any new person who tries to send their child a private message.
- For children under 13, private messaging would be turned off by default. A parent would have to give official permission and verify their identity before their child could start using direct messages on any social media platform.
- App stores would be required to show clear warnings to parents before a child downloads an app that has private messaging features. This ensures parents know exactly what kind of communication tools are included in the apps their kids are using.
- The Federal Trade Commission and state officials would have the power to fine companies that don't follow these rules. Most of these changes would start within one year of the bill becoming law.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Social media companies — including smaller platforms that meet the bill's definition — would need to build and maintain new parental control systems, age verification processes, and notification tools. These compliance costs could be significant, especially for smaller or startup platforms that lack the engineering resources of major tech companies. Providers of app stores would also face new requirements to display warnings about messaging features.
Milestones
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
SMK Act of 2025
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(1)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.