Michigan GOP Senate leader Nesbitt introduces bill to ban social media for users under 16
A bill that would ban anyone under age 16 from viewing, using or accessing social media in Michigan has been introduced in the state legislature.
Senate Bill 996 was introduced on Wednesday, with Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township as the sole sponsor. The bill has been referred to the committee on finance, insurance and consumer protection.
Nesbitt is among the candidates for governor in the 2026 election cycle.
"Study after study confirms what every parent already knows to be true — social media is a threat to the mental and physical health of our children. Anxiety. Sleep loss. Depression. Body image and eating disorders. Self-harm. Suicide. The list goes on and on and on," Nesbitt said.
"We have a long history of laws restricting access to substances like alcohol and tobacco because we know kids aren't ready to handle their harmful, addictive properties — and it's time to start treating social media like the drug that it is."
In addition to the outright ban of social media accounts for those under age 16, the bill would prohibit anyone between the ages of 16 and under 18 from creating or maintaining a social media account "without the express written consent of the individual's parent or guardian."
Youths would still be allowed to have email accounts or use online services that offer content "pre-selected by the provider and is not generated by account holders."
There will be civil fines of up to $25,000 per day for a social media company that violates the act, if it becomes law in Michigan.
There have been other efforts to limit teens' access to social and electronic media, whether during the school day or completely.
In Michigan, a law that takes effect with the 2026-27 school year bans personal cell phones in K-12 classrooms. Some districts have already invoked local rules with such restrictions.
Australia invoked, in late 2025, what was considered the first-of-its-kind, widespread social media ban for teenagers under age 16.