Bill Text: MS HB1570 | 2026 | Regular Session | Introduced

Mississippi House Bill 1570

Introduced

Bill Title: Mississippi Social Media Literacy and Online Safety Act; create.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Failed) 2026-02-03 - Died In Committee [HB1570 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2026-HB1570-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2026 Regular Session

To: Technology; Judiciary A

By: Representative Nelson

House Bill 1570

AN ACT TO CREATE THE "MISSISSIPPI SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY AND ONLINE SAFETY ACT"; TO REQUIRE COMPLETION OF A SOCIAL MEDIA LITERACY COURSE BEFORE INITIAL OR CONTINUED USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS BY MINORS; TO PROVIDE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE COURSE BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN COORDINATION WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES; TO ESTABLISH A DIVERSIONARY CONSEQUENCE PROGRAM FOR REPEATED ONLINE MISCONDUCT; TO PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND CLARIFY THAT THE ACT DOES NOT REGULATE OR RESTRICT ONLINE SPEECH; TO PROVIDE ENFORCEMENT, RULEMAKING AUTHORITY AND PENALTIES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Mississippi Social Media Literacy and Online Safety Act".

SECTION 2. (1) The Legislature finds that:

(a) Social media platforms are central to communication and social development among Mississippi youth;

(b) Misuse of social media, including cyberbullying and harassment, has been associated with depression, anxiety and suicide among minors;

(c) Education, not censorship, is the most effective method to ensure safe and responsible participation in digital environments; and

(d) It is in the public interest to establish a state-administered social media literacy program to prepare minors for the responsibilities and risks associated with online interaction.

(2) The purpose of this act is to educate and protect minors through preventive literacy instruction and consequence-based re-education following online misconduct.

SECTION 3. (1) The State Department of Education, in coordination with the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, shall develop and maintain a Social Media Literacy and Online Safety Course.

(2) The course shall include, but not be limited to, instruction on:

(a) Responsible digital communication and empathy online;

(b) Recognizing and preventing cyberbullying, scams and misinformation;

(d) Digital privacy, data protection and online security; and

(e) Understanding the legal and social consequences of online misconduct.

(3) The course shall be made available online, without cost, in age-appropriate modules for minors and optional modules for parents or guardians.

(4) The departments may collaborate with accredited universities, nonprofit organizations and recognized experts in education, psychology and information technology to design the course content.

SECTION 4. (1) On and after July 1, 2027, any person under the age of eighteen (18) residing in this state shall complete the Social Media Literacy and Online Safety Course developed under Section 3 of this act before activating or maintaining an account on a social media platform.

(2) Social media platforms operating in Mississippi shall provide a course verification option through an interface approved by the Department of Information Technology Services.

(3) A parent or legal guardian must consent to the minor's course completion and account activation in accordance with state and federal law.

(4) Nothing in this act shall be construed to limit or restrict any individual's right to free expression under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or Section 13 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890; the requirements of this act are educational and protective and not intended to regulate speech content or viewpoint. Nothing in this act shall modify any obligations of social media platforms and providers already established under state and federal law.

SECTION 5. (1) Upon notification by a social media platform that a Mississippi minor user has violated the platform's policies regarding harassment, bullying or online abuse, the user shall be required to complete a Consequence Course as provided by the Department of Information Technology before resuming access to the social media platform.

(2) A second or subsequent violation shall require completion of additional educational modules and may include temporary suspension from platform use, in proportion to the number and severity of prior offenses.

(3) Persistent or severe violators may be reported to the platform for extended bans, consistent with that platform's internal terms of service.

(4) The Department of Information Technology Services shall provide an appeals process for users disputing a violation determination.

SECTION 6. (1) The Department of Information Technology Services and the Attorney General shall oversee compliance by major social media platforms operating in the state.

(2) Social media companies that knowingly and repeatedly fail to implement reasonable verification measures as provided by rule may be subject to a civil penalty not exceeding Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per violation, after notice and opportunity for hearing.

(3) Fines collected under this act shall be deposited into a special fund within the State Treasury for use in supporting digital literacy and youth mental health programs to be known as the Social Media Literacy and Online Safety. Unexpended amounts remaining in the special fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any interest earned on amounts in the special fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund.

(4) The Department of Information Technology

Services shall adopt rules and regulations to carry out the purposes of this act, including technological standards for verification and reporting.

SECTION 7. (1) This act shall not:

(a) Restrict or regulate speech, expression or viewpoint on any online platform;

(b) Require social media companies to monitor or censor individual content; or

(2) The act operates solely as an educational and safety initiative consistent with the state's police powers and does not conflict with any federal statute, regulation or constitutional protection.

(3) Compliance with this act shall not be construed as a condition for interstate commerce or as a restriction upon access to federally protected online services.

SECTION 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.