Law / United States / 
Minnesota
HF 4138 (2026), STOP HARMS from Addictive Social Media Act
Minn. Stat. §§ 325M.33, 325M.40 (2026 Minn. Laws ch. 111)
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What follows is LexLint's own research summary of this law, not legal advice.
In force in 281 days, effective 1 July 2027.
A social media and minors rule binding private bodies.
As of 2 September 2026.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Requires a covered social media platform (10,000 or more account holders, or at least $1 billion in worldwide revenue) to estimate a new account holder's age after 25 hours of use within six months, treating the user as a child (age 15 or younger) unless it can conclude with 80 percent confidence the user is 16 or older, rising to a 90 percent confidence threshold at 50 hours of use.
Child accounts require verifiable parental consent, must default to the most private settings, and may not display addictive interface features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, or targeted advertising.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureNo
Private right of actionYes
Penalties
Actual damages or $10,000 in statutory damages, whichever is greater, for a reckless or knowing violation, plus possible punitive damages and attorney fees; also enforceable as a deceptive trade practice.
Penalty structure
Available to the Minnesota Attorney General under the general consumer-protection civil-penalty statute, Minn. Stat. sec. 8.31, subd. 3(b), because subd. 10 of this Act deems a knowing or reckless violation a deceptive trade practice under Minn. Stat. sec. 325D.44 and gives the attorney general enforcement authority under sec. 8.31.
- Rule
- Fixed only
- As of
- 2 September 2026
- Currency
- USD
- Fixed cap
- 25,000
Statutory damages
Available only where the covered platform's violation was reckless or knowing: the child or parent recovers actual damages or $10,000 in statutory damages, whichever is greater. A negligent violation recovers general and special damages, court costs and fees, and reasonable attorney fees, but no $10,000 statutory floor. Punitive damages are separately available for a consistent pattern of reckless or knowing conduct.
- As of
- 2 September 2026
- Currency
- USD
- Per person reckless
- 10,000
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
Minnesota Attorney General, who has enforcement authority under Minn. Stat. sec. 8.31 because a knowing or reckless violation is deemed a deceptive trade practice under Minn. Stat. sec. 325D.44; a child or parent also has a private right of action under Minn. Stat. sec. 325M.40, subd. 9.
What it reaches
Age threshold
16
Covered services
Social media platforms with 10,000 or more Minnesota account holders, or at least $1 billion in worldwide revenue in one of the preceding three years.
Obligation class
Age verification, Consent, Design code
Verification methods
Self declaration, Parental consent
When LexLint raises it
operates_social_platform
Read the law
official session law text, Minnesota Revisor of Statutes
Every line above is drawn from the primary source linked here, read on the date shown. This is a research summary, not legal advice.