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)
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.
Technical 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.
Who is protected: Illinois minors who use social media platforms from algorithmic content feeds and data exploitation
Who must comply: Social media platform operators with users known to be minors; operating system providers serving Illinois
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | Enacted (not yet in effect) |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2028-01-01 |
| Enacted | 2026-07-31 |
| Citation | Illinois HB5511, Children's Social Media Safety Act (signed July 31, 2026; effective January 1, 2028) |
| Enforced by | Illinois Attorney General |
| 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 |
| Last verified | 2026-08-03 |
| Official source | Pritzker signs law regulating how social media platforms interact with children — Capitol News Illinois ↗ |
More AI rules in Illinois
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- Algorithmic rent price-fixing ban · Proposed / pending
- Illinois SB 3114 — Transparency in Downcoding Act · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- IL AV local-preemption (2017) · In effect
- IL Drone Surveillance Act · In effect
- BIPA · In effect
Related consumer protection rules elsewhere
- Missouri AI Therapy Chatbot Ban (SB 1019) · Enacted (not yet 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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