For years, educators and parents have sounded alarm bells about the adverse impact of social media use on minors. In recent months, those calls have turned into concrete policies in Nevada, such as phone bans in classrooms. 

Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford could take those bans a step further through a sweeping measure that could transform the way websites operate in Nevada — requiring online platforms to implement age verification systems, limit features such as infinite scrolling for minors and require them to have approval from legal guardians before using social media.

Those provisions of SB63, set to be heard Friday in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, would apply to a wide range of digital products, such as social networks and certain gaming platforms such as Minecraft but exclude others such as email or those used almost exclusively for educational purposes. Advocates say that the bill — dubbed the Youth Online Safety Act — could make a crucial difference in improving children’s mental health, even as some have raised concerns that the measure could curtail free expression and have unintended consequences in the classroom.

“This is more than just more than just a data issue. It's a public safety issue. It's a real-world threat,” Ford told The Nevada Independent in an interview. “This bill would build a safer system where parents know what their kids are exposed to, and so that predators lose their digital cover.” 

The introduction of SB63 follows a wave of similar legislation passed nationwide — from California to Minnesota — and as social media platforms have increasingly drawn federal scrutiny. In 2021, Instagram executives were grilled by members of Congress after it was revealed that the platform’s automated recommendation engine had served graphic images of self-harm to teenage girls and promoted eating disorders. 

Big tech companies such as Google and the owners of TikTok, meanwhile, have been criticized for exploiting children’s data, after they faced federal charges in 2019 for illegally collecting kids’ personal information without parental permission. A 2023 study from the U.S. surgeon general found that increased social media use doubles the risk of poor mental health outcomes for minors, heightening symptoms of depression and anxiety. 

Despite support from educators and the public, the bill from Ford — who is running for governor in 2026 against Gov. Joe Lombardo, whose signature he would need for it to become law —  could face future legal challenges. Judges have blocked similar legislation nationwide, including in California this March, saying that the measures raise First Amendment issues by limiting children's speech and raise potential privacy concerns. 

“We recognize that there are countervailing concerns, while we are always open and amenable to getting suggestions on how to address those concerns, but what we cannot do is sit by the wayside,” Ford said. 

How would it work? 

Digital platforms have raised concerns about how exactly implementing the age verification system would work, especially as the bill stipulates that platforms must have an accuracy rate of at least 95 percent in their determinations and require users provide documentation to establish their age. 

“It puts the platforms in the position of collecting a lot of sensitive information about millions of people in a system that we know doesn't really work," a source representing a digital platform, who was not authorized to speak to the press, told The Nevada Independent. 

The bill, however, would prohibit platforms from retaining any personal information used to verify age and also seeks to address additional privacy concerns about data collection, banning platforms from using personal information from minors in an algorithmic recommendation system. 

Legal representatives for digital platforms such as Amazon and Google in other states contend that age verification systems could exacerbate privacy concerns by requiring sensitive data to be handed over. Big tech companies also have a significant number of lobbyists in the Nevada Legislature this session. Meta and Google have seven lobbyists, while the gaming platform Roblox and Amazon have six lobbyists, according to a list of accredited lobbyists. 

Opponents also say that the bill could limit vulnerable groups from accessing social media platforms, such as those unable to afford government identification. They also contend it could unintentionally harm minors who are trying to learn more about their sexual and gender identities but whose parents don’t support them.

Ford said that he has worked with social media companies to address their concerns. The bill hearing, which was originally scheduled for March, was delayed to give interested parties additional time to work on the bill. It has since been amended, slashing a section that would have entirely banned children under 13 from using social media platforms. 

An amendment sought by the Nevada Resort Association, which represents the state’s casino industry, would exempt social gaming companies owned by a casino or an affiliate, such as the publicly traded Summerlin-based PlayStudios, from online platform restrictions. 

The amendment moved the association to neutral on the bill, with the association saying in a statement that the “gaming industry has robust age verification systems in place for internet gaming, and our members’ free social gaming sites are marketed to adult gaming customers.”

The bill would make violation of these provisions a deceptive trade practice, imposing a civil penalty of $25,000 for each violation. 

It would also block minors from receiving social media notifications during school hours or time “reserved for sleep” could help students’ concentration. It would also disable minors from knowing the number of times their posts were liked, shared, or reposted. 

‘Their brains aren't developed’

Andrew Tiscareno, a social studies teacher at Eagle Valley Middle School in Carson City, said that the attorney general’s bill could be transformative for his students. 

Tiscareno, who has been a teacher for 15 years, said the advent of social media has contributed to more bullying and that his students have found it increasingly difficult to differentiate facts from misinformation. 

“We're not going to let [kids] drink or smoke or gamble or any of this stuff because they're not ready for it. Their brains aren't developed. It’s the same thing with social media,” Tiscareno said. 

Tiscareno, believes that many of the SB63’s provisions, such as blocking minors from receiving social media notifications during school hours or time “reserved for sleep” could help students’ concentration. He also believes that the stipulation requiring parental consent could lead to greater awareness about the harms of online activity. 

Multiple studies echo Tiscareno’s concerns. 

A survey from Washoe County found that nearly all teachers and up to 80 percent of families in the district felt that cellphones are a major distraction for students in the classroom and negatively affect their behavior. 

Brian Wallace, the vice president of the Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), said that the organization is still determining if they’ll support the bill, which he said could have unintended consequences in the classroom and on outreach efforts.

“We have schools that do utilize social media platforms for a variety of actual educational purposes. That's where snow days are announced ….They don't check their school district email. They're gonna check their social media account,” Wallace said.

Wallace, however, said SB63 could complement another proposal, SB444, which would require school districts to implement policies limiting phone use. Educators in Carson City and Washoe County districts have said that student concentration has improved since implementing rules banning phones. 

“It's a very robust bill that has come out from the attorney general,” Wallace said. “Very encompassing.”