New Mexico Holds Social Media Companies Accountable; Kentucky Must Do The Same To Protect Kids From Social Media Harms

The Family Foundation Calls on the Kentucky Senate to Pass HB 227 by Rep. Matt Lockett

FRANKFORT, KY – In light of yesterday’s nearly $400 million verdict against Meta for failing to protect children from sexual predators on their platforms, The Family Foundation renews its call for the Kentucky Senate to pass House Bill 227 by Representative Matt Lockett. HB 227, which has already passed the House 96-0, protects kids from social media harms by requiring parental consent, banning addictive features, and preventing the collection, sale, and misuse of children’s data.

Statement from David Walls, Executive Director of The Family Foundation:

“Kentucky families are facing the harrowing task of protecting their children from a wide range of online harms—including the social media industry’s business model of addiction by design. For too long social media companies have profited from addicting minors to their platforms without any meaningful parental safeguards. HB 227 holds social media companies accountable for protecting kids while upholding the First Amendment rights of adults.”

“The New Mexico verdict shows that it is time to hold social media giants accountable for their actions. The Kentucky Senate has the opportunity and duty to act right now to protect Kentucky’s kids. It’s time to protect vulnerable children from predatory companies instead of allowing mega corporations to continue profiting off their harm. Failure by the Kentucky Senate to act this legislative session is a failure to protect our children.”

Statement from Representative Matt Lockett, Sponsor of HB 227:

“Yesterday’s verdict in the New Mexico state court is a wake-up call: when it comes to our children, the status quo is not acceptable. The design features that keep kids hooked and collecting personal data in ways most families do not fully understand.”

“As policymakers, we have a responsibility to put the well-being of our children first. This is exactly why I filed House Bill 227, which passed the House by a strong bipartisan vote of 96-0. This measure ensures that parents—not tech companies—are in charge of decisions that impact their children. The bill prevents the collection, sale, or misuse of children’s personal data and prohibits algorithms from using that data to manipulate what kids see and experience online. By strengthening age verification, requiring verifiable parental consent, and automatically setting the highest privacy protections for minors, this bill creates meaningful safeguards where they are needed most.”

In addition to the New Mexico verdict, Meta and Google were held accountable in a $6 million verdict in Los Angeles today related to their addictive features targeting children. The Family Foundation urges Kentuckians to contact their Senators so we can protect our children and prevent more of these harms to children from happening.