Missouri lawmakers returned to Jefferson City on Monday, March 23, 2026, and wasted little time jumping into one of the most charged debates in tech policy right now: how tightly the state should lock down kids' access to social media and AI chatbots. Two bills on the docket would require strict age checks, freeze accounts until users prove how old they are, outlaw certain manipulative features aimed at minors, and put platforms on the hook for hefty civil penalties if they blow it.
The proposals take a two-track approach, one for AI and one for social media. House Bill 2032 zeroes in on so-called AI "companion" chatbots, making it unlawful for a chatbot to solicit or encourage sexually explicit conduct or promote self-harm, with civil penalties that could reach up to $100,000 per violation. House Bill 2392, titled the "Missouri Social Media Safety for Minors Act," would bar anyone under 14 from creating or maintaining an account, allow 14 and 15 year olds to sign up only with verified parental consent, require secure age verification, prohibit certain manipulative design tricks, and ban targeted ads directed at minors. As laid out in the Missouri House bill texts, both measures hand civil enforcement power to the attorney general and require platforms to verify users' ages before allowing new accounts or restoring existing ones. Full language is available in the HB 2032 bill text and HB 2392 bill text.
Both bills landed on the agenda of the House Committee on Emerging Issues as lawmakers filtered back from spring break, with a hearing set for 4:30 p.m. Monday. Local coverage noted the timing and the fact that legislators were tackling both the AI companion and social media proposals in the same week, setting up what could be a brisk sprint through committee. KMOV/First Alert 4.
Part of a wider push on AI and child safety
Missouri is not moving in a vacuum. Around the country, lawmakers are rolling out a wave of bills that aim to clamp down on what minors can do online and to rein in AI systems that present themselves as emotional companions. State level age verification laws and a proposed federal GUARD Act, which would restrict minors' access to companion chatbots, are part of the same trend, with supporters warning that AI tools could manipulate or groom young users if left unchecked. Time.
Legal and privacy questions
Both Missouri bills rely on the attorney general for enforcement and create new civil penalties. Legal and privacy experts, however, have been quick to flag the flip side: aggressive age verification rules can mean more data collection, more ID checks and more potential constitutional fights. Earlier state efforts that forced adult websites to verify ages through government IDs or similar methods sparked fast moving legal challenges and industry pushback, offering a preview of how quickly this kind of regulation can end up in court. Cronkite News.
For now, the path forward is procedural. The committee's hearings, public testimony and eventual votes this week will decide whether either bill makes it to the House floor. Supporters are framing the measures as common sense child safety rules, while technology companies and civil liberties advocates stress that the fine print on how age is verified, how that data is stored and who pays the compliance bill will determine how workable the laws really are in practice. KMOV/First Alert 4.
