Massachusetts House to Vote on Bill Restricting Social Media Access for Minors and Banning Phones in Schools

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is set to vote on April 8 on a bill that would impose restrictions on social media access for minors and prohibit mobile phone use in schools. The legislation aims to regulate online platforms and educational environments. It follows a Senate version passed in July 2025.

Under the proposed bill, children under 14 would be banned from accessing social media platforms. Platforms would need to install age-verification systems to enforce this restriction. For users aged 14 and 15, verifiable parental consent would be required, while those 16 and older would face no such limits.

Social media platforms are defined in the bill as websites and applications primarily used for sharing user-generated content. Email and SMS text messaging services are explicitly excluded from this definition. If passed, companies would also be required to provide parents access to their children's social media data.

The Attorney General would establish implementation regulations by September 1, with the policy taking effect on October 1, 2026. House Speaker Ron Mariano and Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz issued a joint statement on the bill.

“The simple reality is that Massachusetts must do more to ensure that our laws keep pace with modern challenges — especially when it comes to protecting our children, and to setting students up for success in the classroom and beyond.”

The bill's social media provisions draw from similar legislation in Florida, enacted in 2024, which has faced legal challenges from First Amendment advocates. Michlewitz noted the potential for litigation but expressed confidence in the state's position.

Governor Maura Healey has indicated support for such measures, including mandatory age verification and disabling features like continuous scrolling for young users in her 2026 State of the Commonwealth address. In addition to social media rules, the bill addresses mobile phone use in schools.

It requires school districts to establish policies prohibiting personal electronic devices throughout the school day, including during school-sponsored activities. A pilot program would test technology to render mobile devices inoperable on school grounds across 10 districts.

Several Massachusetts districts, including Newton, Gardner, and Barnstable, have already implemented local bans on devices. Watertown High School has adopted the "Doorman" program, which limits smartphone functionality to basic voice calls in classrooms, as reported by CBS News.

This makes it the first school in the country to use such a system. After the House vote, the bill would proceed to a six-person conference committee to reconcile differences with the Senate version. The reconciled legislation would require approval from both chambers before reaching Governor Healey's desk for final action.

The measures target protections for minors amid ongoing debates over technology's role in education and child development.