Massachusetts governor proposes her own youth social media bill

Healey's plan focuses on changing default settings rather than an outright ban

Apr. 14, 2026 at 7:41pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A close-up view of a solitary smartphone resting on a wooden desk, the device's screen and edges softly illuminated by warm, diagonal sunlight streaming through a window, creating deep shadows that convey a sense of isolation and contemplation around the role of social media in young people's lives.Healey's social media bill seeks to shift control away from platforms and toward parents, reflecting growing concerns over the mental health impacts of unfettered youth access.Boston Today

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has proposed her own youth social media bill that would require social media companies to automatically deactivate certain features like infinite scrolling and addictive algorithms for users under 18. Unlike a previous House proposal, Healey's bill would not ban social media for kids under 14, but would give parents and guardians more control over their children's social media use.

Why it matters

The governor's bill is seen as a more moderate approach compared to the House's proposed outright ban, aiming to address concerns over youth mental health and social media addiction while still allowing some access. However, enforcing location-based restrictions could raise privacy issues that will need to be addressed.

The details

Healey's bill would require social media companies to automatically deactivate features like infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, and algorithms that target young users based on their past activity for anyone under 18. Users 16 and older could change these settings themselves, but for those 15 and younger, only a parent or guardian could modify the default settings. The bill would also make location tracking, notifications, and overall daily usage time limits the default for minors.

  • The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed youth social media legislation one week prior to Healey's proposal.
  • Healey announced her bill at a news conference on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

The players

Maura Healey

The governor of Massachusetts who has proposed her own youth social media bill, which aims to give parents and guardians more control over their children's social media use rather than an outright ban.

Massachusetts House of Representatives

The state legislative body that previously passed a bill to ban social media for kids under 14, which Healey's proposal is seen as complementing rather than replacing.

Peter Tran

A tech expert who expressed concerns that enforcing location-based restrictions in Healey's bill could raise privacy issues, especially for minors.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This isn't a ban. But it is deactivation.”

— Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts

“The bottom line is we're taking steps here in Massachusetts to protect our young people, to actually take the power away from social media platforms and give that power to young people and to parents. It's a matter of control.”

— Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts

“If you're going to try to enforce Massachusetts state boundaries you have to enforce that location services be turned on, if that's the case. And so that brings a lot of debate from a security and data privacy standpoint, especially for minors.”

— Peter Tran, Tech expert

What’s next

The Massachusetts legislature will need to reconcile Healey's proposal with the previous House bill before any youth social media legislation can be finalized and signed into law.

The takeaway

Governor Healey's approach aims to strike a balance between protecting youth mental health and maintaining some access to social media, rather than an outright ban. However, the privacy implications of enforcing location-based restrictions will need to be carefully considered as the legislation moves forward.