Sen. Chris Murphy said internet regulation should help people spend less time alone on Instagram, but did not outline an adult-focused plan. The bipartisan Kids Off Social Media Act he co-sponsors would instead restrict minors’ accounts and data use.
Under the bipartisan bill, platforms would be barred from allowing children under 13 to create or maintain accounts when they know the user is a child. It would also restrict the use of personal data in personalized recommendation systems for users under 17. The FTC and state attorneys general would enforce it; schools on federally funded networks would have good-faith duties to restrict platform access.
Murphy linked widespread loneliness and diminished personal power to political vulnerability and Donald Trump’s appeal; his book also advocates higher wages and rebuilt local institutions. The article says he did not identify which agency would set an adult-use threshold or how to measure it, and points to First Amendment questions. In February 2025, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation said the bill does not explain how platforms can verify users’ ages without collecting sensitive personal data.
