Cybersecurity Policy Report, Michigan Senate Passes Bills Intended to Keep Minors Safe Online, (May 1, 2026)
The Michigan state Senate this week voted 20-17 to pass a package of bills aimed at keeping children safe online. The “Kids Over Clicks Package” aims to “improve internet safety and safeguard Michigan children from rampant digital dangers, from addiction to exploitation,” according to bill sponsors.
The proposed legislation is also intended to help “combat emerging risks associated with unfettered social media and Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage among Michigan kids.”
“Time and time again, Big Tech platforms have shown that they will always prioritize their bottom line over the safety of our children. That is unacceptable and exactly why my Senate colleagues and I passed the Kids Over Clicks package,” said bill sponsor Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D.). “With this legislation, we’re standing up to massive tech companies and forcing them to put an end to the exploitative, dangerous, addictive feeds they use to keep our kids endlessly scrolling while they make a profit.”
The Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act (SB 757) seeks to regulate the provision of “addictive feeds” on Internet-based services and applications, particularly as they pertain to minors. The bill defines “addictive feeds” as “content streams that are algorithmically recommended or prioritized based on user data, with certain exceptions such as user-requested content, direct communications, or content shown in response to specific searches.”
Under the bill, social media sites would be prohibited from offering addictive feeds to minors unless they had verifiable parental consent or actual knowledge that the user was not a minor. The bill also would restrict notifications to minors during late-night hours (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and during school hours on weekdays (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the school year).
The Senate also passed the Kids Code Act (SB 758), which would establish comprehensive standards and practices for online services in Michigan, specifically to protect minors under the age of 18. The bill would mandate that online services configure default privacy settings for minors to the highest level, restrict adult interactions with minors’ accounts unless explicitly permitted by the minor, and prohibit the use of “dark patterns” and targeted advertising to minors.
Under the bill (S.B. 758, Reg Sess.), which is sponsored by Sen. Kevin Hertel (D.), parents would be granted tools to manage their children’s privacy settings, restrict purchases, monitor usage, and set time limits, while both minors and parents would have access to mechanisms for reporting harms experienced on the service.
“Let’s be clear: Big Tech’s exploitative and addictive algorithms have created a public health crisis affecting the mental and emotional well-being of an entire generation of our kids. And right now, parents are being asked to fight that battle without the tools they need,” Sen. Hertel said in a statement. “All the while, massive tech companies continue to grow their profit at our children’s expense. With our Kids Over Clicks package, we have the opportunity to change that and put parents back in the driver’s seat where they have the power to protect their kids online just as they do in the real world.”
SB 758 is set to take effect on July 1, contingent on the enactment of SB 759, which also seeks to mandate stricter data privacy and safety settings for minors online.
The Senate also passed the Leading Ethical AI Development (LEAD) for Kids Act (SB 760), which seeks to regulate the operation and provision of companion chatbots to minors in Michigan. The bill would prohibit operators from making companion chatbots available to minors if the chatbot is capable of encouraging “self-harm, suicidal ideation, violence, substance abuse, disordered eating, or illegal activities; offering unsupervised mental health therapy; discouraging professional help; engaging in sexually explicit interactions; prioritizing user validation over safety and factual accuracy; or optimizing engagement at the expense of required safety guardrails.”
The bill (S.B. 760, Reg Sess.) would allow the state attorney general to bring civil actions with fines of up to $25,000 per violation against companies whose chatbots encourage harmful behavior. It also would permit families to pursue civil damages if a child is harmed. It is sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D.).
“As our digital landscape continues to evolve, our internet safety parameters need to continue evolving as well,” Sen. Polehanki said in a statement. “Keeping our kids safe from dangerous AI chatbots, data privacy abuses, and online exploitation is common sense, and I’m proud of our efforts to get these improved protections through the Senate.”
News: StateLegislation DataPrivacy