Preston-Led Bill Aims to Strengthen Online Safety Protections for Children (Springfield, IL) – State Senator Willie Preston is advancing legislation designed to strengthen protections for children online by requiring safer digital standards for apps, devices, and online platforms operating in Illinois.
Preston, a Democrat representing Chicago, said the measure responds to growing concerns about the impact social media and online platforms can have on the privacy, safety, and mental health of young users.
“Parents already have enough to worry about without wondering whether social media companies are targeting their children with addictive content and unsafe features,” Preston said. “Families in our communities deserve real protections, real transparency and real accountability from these tech companies.”
House Bill 5511 would establish the Children’s Online Safety Act, creating an age assurance system intended to help online platforms determine whether users are minors while minimizing the amount of personal information shared during the verification process.
Under the proposal, covered device manufacturers and app stores would be required to provide age-range signals to online platforms, enabling companies to implement age-appropriate protections for children and teenagers.
The legislation would also require platforms that know a user is a minor to automatically activate enhanced privacy protections. These safeguards would include limiting location-sharing features and restricting the use of gifted digital currency functions.
Additionally, the bill would prohibit online platforms from sending notifications to minors during overnight hours unless verified parental consent has been obtained.
Preston said the measure is designed to establish safeguards that prioritize the well-being of young users over platform engagement metrics.
“This legislation is about creating guardrails that put children before corporate algorithms,” Preston said. “We cannot continue allowing online platforms to prioritize engagement and profit over the mental health, privacy and well-being of young people.”
Supporters argue the proposal balances online safety concerns with privacy protections by requiring companies to collect and share only the minimum amount of information necessary to verify a user’s age.
Enforcement authority would fall to the Illinois Attorney General and State’s Attorneys across Illinois through the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
House Bill 5511 passed the Illinois Senate on Monday and now advances in the legislative process.
Preston-Led Bill Aims to Strengthen Online Safety Protections for Children
