A Michigan mother took a painful story public in Lansing yesterday, telling state senators that her 12-year-old daughter’s death by suicide was fueled in part by time spent on social media. Charay Gadd said her daughter, London, was pulled into self-harm content after opening accounts before age 13, and she urged lawmakers to move quickly on a package of bills that would rein in algorithm-driven feeds and targeted ads for kids. Sponsors say the changes are meant to make platforms safer for children while giving parents clearer rules and real enforcement power.
Senate Hearing Puts Kids Over Clicks In The Spotlight
The Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee heard testimony on four bills collectively branded as the Kids Over Clicks package, which backers say would hold social media companies responsible for features that keep young users glued to their screens. Michigan Senate Democrats say the package includes the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act, the Kids Code Act and a proposal to restrict certain high-risk AI companion chatbots. Supporters told senators the language was shaped with input from parents, clinicians and online safety organizations.
Inside SB 757’s Crackdown On “Addictive” Feeds
One measure, SB 757, known as the SAFE For Kids Act, would bar social media companies from serving algorithmically recommended “addictive” feeds to minors unless the platform has actual knowledge the user is an adult or has obtained verifiable parental consent. The bill spells out design features that fall under that label, including infinite scroll, autoplay and gamification. It would also block push notifications to minors during school hours and late at night. Under SB 757, the attorney general could pursue damages, injunctions and civil penalties for violations, using specific remedies and enforcement tools laid out in the statute, per Legiscan.
Kids Code Act Targets Privacy, Ads And Audits
The Kids Code Act, contained in SBs 758 and 759, would require stricter default privacy settings for younger users, prohibit targeted advertising to minors and mandate independent audits of platform practices that are designed to boost time spent online. Supporters argue that treating violations as consumer-protection issues would give Michigan new leverage to force compliance and influence industry behavior. Reporting on the hearing notes that the package would make breaches enforceable under the state’s consumer-protection framework and could expose platforms to civil penalties if it is signed into law, as per Michigan Advance.
Supporters Call It One More Tool For Parents
“London was not born for profit,” Gadd told lawmakers, recounting how she discovered disturbing posts while reviewing her daughter’s phone after her death. In testimony captured by FOX 2 Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said technology has transformed how teens are harassed and exploited, and that Michigan’s laws have to catch up with that reality. Supporters framed the Kids Over Clicks package as another tool to prevent harms that clinicians and parents say they are already seeing in communities across the state.
Free-Speech Fights And Industry Pushback
Industry representatives and free-speech advocates pushed back during the hearing, warning that broad limits on platform features and mandatory age verification could trigger First Amendment challenges and expensive court battles. Company lawyers have argued that design choices such as engagement algorithms and infinite scroll implicate protected-speech rights. Critics also say age-verification mandates could create new privacy and operational headaches for platforms. WLNS/Yahoo reported on industry testimony, while the Mackinac Center published a commentary urging caution and warning of potential regulatory and privacy problems.
Michigan Joins A Growing State-Level Fight
Supporters and sponsors pointed to a widening patchwork of state attempts to curb addictive design and strengthen child data protections, noting that New York and California have already moved in similar directions. In New York, regulators have drafted rules under that state’s SAFE-style law that would limit features seen as encouraging prolonged use by minors, and Michigan lawmakers say they want to be part of that same wave. Backers contend that a state-by-state strategy allows rules to adjust as technology and public health research evolve, as per the Office of the New York Attorney General.
What Happens Next In Lansing
The Kids Over Clicks bills remain before the Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee after Wednesday’s testimony, and sponsors say they will keep fine-tuning language to address civil-liberties and enforcement concerns. Legislative tracking shows SB 759 was up for a committee hearing in Lansing yesterday, and sponsors signaled they want to move quickly while still responding to feedback. If the package advances, it would give the attorney general rule-making authority so requirements can shift as platforms and technology change.
