A state lawmaker from North Texas intends to revisit a proposal in 2026 to restrict social media access for those under 16, reigniting a debate over online safety and free speech.
Previous Attempt Fell Short in Senate
Table of Contents
Republican State Representative Jared Patterson of Frisco saw his initial legislation in 2025 pass the House, but ultimately stalled in the Senate. When asked if more time would have altered the outcome, Patterson responded, “We’ll never know.”
“We were so confident about it,” he said. “I think we had broad bipartisan support, and you know, only 25 out of 150 votes against it in the Texas House. I mean, this is a this is not a red versus blue bill. This is red, white and blue bill. This is something that all walks of life people get behind.”
The bill garnered 116 votes in favor and 25 against, with some lawmakers voicing concerns regarding potential infringements on free speech rights.
Age Limit Lowered, Inspired by Australia
Patterson initially aimed to ban social media for individuals under 18, but now proposes lowering the age to 16, aligning with a recently enacted law in Australia.
“Look, getting kids under 16 off of this harmful product is significantly better than where it currently stands. Which is you can be practically any age and have Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, whatever you want.”
Patterson believes a lack of understanding regarding the effects of social media on young people may have hindered broader support for the bill.
“I’ve had the opportunity to study this issue for four years,” said Patterson. “I’ve served on two interim study committees on this issue. I have met with and talked to parents that have lost their children due to this harmful product, social media. And so, I think, like any issue, some of us are more acutely aware of the problems that exist and then the legislative solution for that problem. And so, I think, really, it’s more of just- about educating members about this product, how harmful it is to teens. What all they have access to.”
Reframing the Debate: Protecting Children, Not Restricting Speech
Addressing free speech arguments, Patterson drew parallels to existing restrictions on sexually explicit material in schools. “Case law actually says that children do not have—Supreme Court precedent says that children do not have a First Amendment right to obscene content,” said Patterson. “And we know, because X, Snapchat, Instagram, whatever it is, there is explicit content on there. And so maybe we need to reframe this.”
“As, you know, we’re not banning kids from social media. We’re trying to keep kids off adult platforms. You know, we don’t allow kids into a strip club or sexually oriented business. We don’t allow kids into a liquor store. In the state of Texas, the rules are different for children. The rules are different for minors in the state of Texas as it relates to these things. Yet kids have every access in the world right in their pocket, to their smartphone, to their smart device, to get on there and see pornography, to see sexually explicit content, see content pushing drugs, to see content pushing suicide on our kids.”
Age Verification Law Blocked
A federal judge in Austin temporarily halted a new state law on Jan. 1 that would have mandated age verification and parental consent for minors downloading or purchasing apps.
Keep reading
