Texas’ New Social Media Law for Children Gets Rocky Start [Video]

Texas has partially implemented a new law that aims to give parents unprecedented control over their children’s online activities, however it has not had a smooth start.

The Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, also known as CSHB 18, was championed by Republican Representative Shelby Slawson and went into effect on September 1.

“Parents would be given the authority to consent to the platforms their children interact with online,” Slawson said during a committee hearing last year, highlighting concerns about cyberbullying and online predators.

However, the road to implementation has been rocky. Just days before the law was set to take effect, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman issued a last-minute, partial block, preventing the enforcement of SCOPE’s “monitoring and filtering” requirements.

Pitman’s ruling cited concerns about potential threats to online free speech, particularly noting the vague nature of terms like “promoting,” “glorifying,” and “grooming.”

Newsweek has contacted Slawson via email for comment.