Illinois Children's Social Media Safety Act — algorithmic recommendations ban for minors
Illinois HB5511 — Children's Social Media Safety Act (algorithmic feed limits + age verification for minors)
Illinois · Illinois HB5511, Children's Social Media Safety Act (signed July 31, 2026; effective January 1, 2028)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Takes effect
- January 1, 2028
- Applies to
- Social media platform operators with users known to be minors; operating system providers serving Illinois
- Enforced by
- Illinois Attorney General
Illinois's Children's Social Media Safety Act, signed by Governor Pritzker on July 31, 2026, bans social media platforms from using algorithmic content recommendations for users they know to be minors — restricting feeds to only content the user searched for or from accounts the user chose to follow. It requires operating system providers to verify user age at account setup and share an age-category signal with platforms. It mandates default privacy settings for minors that limit location sharing, nighttime notifications (banned 10 pm – 7 am), and digital currency features. The Illinois Attorney General may enforce violations with civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation. The law takes effect January 1, 2028.
Who is protected: Illinois minors who use social media platforms from algorithmic content feeds and data exploitation
Legal detail
Creates the Children's Social Media Safety Act (P.A. TBD; signed July 31, 2026; effective January 1, 2028). Core algorithmic restriction: for users known to be minors, operators may only display content the user requested/searched for or posted by creators the user follows — prohibits algorithmic content recommendations driven by viewing history or device data. Age verification: no later than January 1, 2028, operating system providers must provide an age-indication interface at account setup and send platforms a minimum-necessary age-category signal per user. Minor protections: default settings must limit location sharing (precise location shielded), digital currency transactions, nighttime notifications (10 pm–7 am prohibited), and profile visibility. Passed both chambers unanimously. AG enforcement: civil penalty up to $50,000 per violation.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | July 31, 2026 |
| Citation | Illinois HB5511, Children's Social Media Safety Act (signed July 31, 2026; effective January 1, 2028) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Up to $50,000 per violation |
| Topics | consumer protection · consumer data privacy · children's online safety |
| News report | Pritzker signs law regulating how social media platforms interact with children — Capitol News Illinois |
More AI rules in Illinois
- Illinois SB 3114 — Transparency in Downcoding Act · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- AI Safety Measures Act (frontier model audits) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Algorithmic rent price-fixing ban · Expired
- Illinois HB 3851 — deepfake cyberbullying in schools (2026) · In effect
- Illinois data center tax-incentive pause (DCEO, July 2026) · In effect
- IL AV local-preemption (2017) · In effect
Related consumer protection rules elsewhere
- Missouri AI Therapy Chatbot Ban (SB 1019) · In effect
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Arkansas Frank Broyles Act AI amendment — voice and likeness protection (2025) · In effect
- PA v. Character.AI (Fake Psychiatrist Chatbot) · Blocked / in litigation
- NAACP v. xAI (Colossus 2 Air Pollution) · Blocked / in litigation
- RI Therapy Chatbot Ban (2026) · In effect
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