VA Dems Kill Proposed TikTok Ban For Kids Under 18: Report

RICHMOND, VA — An effort by Virginia Republicans and Gov. Glenn Youngkin to ban the popular social media app TikTok for anyone under the age of 18 died this week in the state's Democratic-controlled Legislature, according to a report.

The bill, sponsored by Republican Del. Jay Leftwich of Chesapeake, stalled in a House of Delegates committee after lawmakers raised concerns about how a ban would be enforced, WJLA reported.

Lawmakers also questioned if singling out one company was the right approach, the report said.

The bill's lack of movement killed the measure due to Tuesday's procedural deadline, WJLA reported.

Youngkin announced his intent to restrict the platform during a December speech at the first anniversary of the Right Help, Right Now Initiative. According to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report, Virginia legislators planned to introduce multiple bills to address TikTok and other mechanisms used by social media companies.

To enforce a ban, Youngkin’s secretary of health and human resources John Littel told the State Board of Health that state leaders planned to work with providers to impose penalties on TikTok if it failed to adequately restrict minors’ access to the platform in Virginia, according to the Times-Dispatch.

Earlier this year, the state of Montana passed a first-in-the-nation law banning TikTok in the state; however, a federal judge blocked the legislation last month, one month before it was scheduled to go into effect, The Associated Press reported.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said Montana's ban "oversteps state power and infringes on the Constitutional right of users and businesses."

In December 2022, Youngkin issued an executive order banning the use of TikTok and WeChat mobile apps on state devices and state-run wireless networks. In the order, Youngkin argued the apps developed by China-based companies pose a threat to U.S. national security.

Under Youngkin’s executive order, businesses that contract with the state of Virginia also are prohibited from using the apps on state-owned devices or information technology infrastructure.

"We are taking this step … to secure state government devices and wireless networks from the threat of infiltration and ensure that we safeguard the data and cybersecurity of state government," Youngkin said last year.

According to the U.S. surgeon general, 95 percent of teenagers use social media and about one-third say they use it "almost constantly."

On average, teens report using social media for an average of 3.5 hours per day.

According to the surgeon general, children and adolescents on social media are inappropriate and harmful content, and those who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media sites face an increased risk of experiencing depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.