Massachusetts Senate Cracks Down on Big Social Media Companies

Massachusetts Senate Cracks Down on Big Social Media Companies 

Legislation Prioritizes Children’s Health Over Corporations’ Addictive Algorithms 

 

(BOSTON—7/9/2026) The Massachusetts Senate stood up to big social media companies today by passing legislation that reins in how their platforms’ most addictive features target young people. 

 

The bill cracks down on settings that are engineered to keep minors perpetually on social media platforms at the expense of the health and wellbeing of users. 

 

Features such as autoplay, ‘infinite scroll,’ and intrusive algorithms that capitalize on users’ personal data would be turned off by default for minors. Minors would not be able to change those default settings, while adult users would retain control over their own settings. 

 

“The question isn’t whether young people should be online—they already are,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Social platforms can help children and teens learn, create, and stay connected. But it is our responsibility as lawmakers to shield young people from harmful features that are designed to hook them rather than help them. Today, the Senate put the wellbeing of our kids over the interests of social media companies. This bill would increase online safety and security, shield personal data and disable the most addictive features of social media for children and teens. This is a critical step in fighting the youth mental health epidemic and addressing the potential harms of constantly evolving technology. I applaud the leadership of Majority Leader Creem, Chair Rodrigues, and each Senator who contributed to this legislation.” 

 
“This legislation sends a clear message that children’s wellbeing must come before social media companies’ bottom line,” said Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton), lead sponsor of the legislation. “Features like autoplay, infinite scroll, and algorithm-driven feeds are intentionally designed to keep young people online for as long as possible, often at the expense of their mental health. This bill takes thoughtful steps to create a safer online experience for children while protecting privacy and free speech. I’m grateful to Senate President Spilka for her leadership and to everyone whose partnership helped bring us to this moment. I’m proud the Senate has acted on this important issue, and I look forward to continuing our work to protect children online.” 

 

“Our kids are glued to their phones, leading to real consequences for their education, mental health, and social interactions—but it isn’t their fault. They’ve been intentionally trapped in an addictive infinite scroll by corporations who stand to make a big profit,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “This legislation fairly presses pause on addictive and intrusive settings that have taken control of our phones, our data, and our attention spans. Complementing our Senate’s cell phone-free schools legislation, this bill will help to create a safer and healthier environment for our children. Thank you to President Spilka for prioritizing these urgent issues, to Leader Creem for her tireless work on this legislation, and to all our colleagues who have called for action on behalf of their constituents.” 

 

Studies have linked prolonged daily social media use to increased depression and anxiety in children. 

 

The legislation—S.3164, An Act protecting children from addictive social media feeds—includes added optional safeguards for children, such as limits on the ability of ‘non-friend’ accounts—strangers—to contact minors’ accounts. 

 

Senators voted today to adopt an amendment (Amendment 24) that adds mandatory protection for minors’ precise location data. As amended, the bill now requires that social media platforms cannot allow minor children to share their precise locations with others. 

 

“The bill passed today by the Senate aims to restore for younger users the original purpose of social media—when platforms were truly a place to connect with friends, not an endless rabbit hole of doomscrolling, self-doubt, and misinformation,” said Senator Julian A. Cyr (D-Provincetown). “We know that social media apps today are engineered to be incredibly addictive, relying on sophisticated behavioral science and data collection to trap users in an infinite cycle of content curated by corporations. We also know that young people are especially vulnerable to having their mental health negatively impacted by these unending algorithmic feeds. Our bill walks a careful line of shielding minors from harmful features, while preserving their ability to find connections and support online. I want to thank Majority Leader Creem for her partnership on this bill, and applaud Senate President Spilka for advancing a commonsense approach to addressing the ills of social media.” 

 

“As the parent of two teenagers, I know firsthand how harmful and addictive social media usage can be on young people without proper guardrails in place,” said Senator Michael F. Rush (D-Boston). “I am grateful to my colleagues in the Senate, who earlier this year unanimously voted to pass an amendment I filed to create a grant program within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to educate students on social media habits, and I am particularly grateful to Senate President Spilka who has put this issue front and center this session.” 

 

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means redrafted and advanced the legislation with a 14-0 vote on July 2, 2026. 

 

The bill was subjected to a public feedback process last year by the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity. 

 

Full details of the legislation are available in a fact sheet in the Senate’s press room. 

 

The Senate passed the bill on a 38-2 roll call vote and sent it to the House of Representatives for further consideration. 

 

Statements of Support 

 

Dr. Jonathan Haidt, Author of The Anxious Generation 

“S.3164 doesn’t ask children to resist a machine designed by engineers to be irresistible, and it doesn’t put the burden on exhausted parents to individually negotiate their family’s relationship with trillion-dollar companies. It simply says that addictive designs are off by default for kids. Massachusetts should pass this bill without weakening it and then strongly enforce it to the full extent of the law.” 

 

Haley Hinkle, Policy Counsel, Fairplay For Kids 

“It is indisputable that social media platforms are designed to maximize profit at the expense of minors’ safety and wellbeing. S.3164 would provide significant new protections for minors by limiting the social media features that have directly contributed to so many online harms, including personalized feeds, autoplay, and geolocation sharing. We thank Senator Creem and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means for their leadership and thank the Massachusetts Senate for its leadership on this important legislation on behalf of the state’s kids and teens.”  

 

Holly Grossshans, Senior Counsel for Tech Policy, Common Sense Media 

“Common Sense Media applauds the Massachusetts State Senate for passing this very important social media safety bill. Parents across Massachusetts, and across the country, are demanding that lawmakers hold technology companies accountable for the products they build. Today, the state Senate answered that call by passing this bill. We commend Senator Creem and the Senate leaders for their commitment to protecting kids, and we urge House leaders and Governor Healey to join the Senate in supporting this bill to ensure that technology serves children, not the other way around.” 

 

Julie Scelfo, Founder and Executive Director, Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA) 

“MAMA commends the Massachusetts Senate for taking the necessary steps to protect children from addictive social media algorithms. By disabling or limiting highly addictive features that social media platforms develop to continuingly engage users in harmful scrolling patterns, this critical legislation supports children’s safety, education, and mental health. For far too long, tech companies have exploited our children’s developing brains to maximize screen time at the expense of their mental health. We are grateful for Senator Creem’s leadership, urge swift passage of Senate Bill 3164, and look forward to ensuring that every child in the Bay State can have a healthy childhood centered around real-world interactions that are central for health and well-being.” 

 

Megan Iorio, Senior Counsel and Platform Governance & Accountability Program Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) 

“For too long, social media companies have relied on invasive data collection and manipulative design practices to drive engagement, often at the expense of young people's safety and well-being. The Senate bill’s requirement that social media companies design their products to be safe for kids is an effective and constitutional approach to protecting kids online. EPIC is proud to support this legislation.” 

 

Adrienne Principe, Founder, Turning Life On 

“The nation is facing one of the biggest public health threats in decades. Internal research reveals that social media companies prioritize profits over mental and cognitive health, especially the health of our youth. We are grateful for Senator Creem’s hard work and dedication and the Senate’s commitment to passing a law that does what these companies refuse to—protect social media users from features that are deliberately addictive and harmful.”