SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois Senate Republicans hope to see lawmakers pass multiple bills in the coming weeks to protect children on social media.

One of their plans could require age restrictions for social media platforms, noting that companies should take reasonable steps to block kids 16 and younger from creating accounts. 

A separate bill would require social media sites to disclose the algorithms they use to determine the content users see.

"We can't simply stand by and do nothing," said Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris). "Everything has to be on the table when it comes to protecting our children because at the end of the day, this is about accountability and safety."

Another plan could require social media companies to strengthen privacy protections, set safer default settings and limit manipulative design practices that negatively impact children. 

Sen. Erica Harriss (R-Glen Carbon) is also renewing her push to have age verification before people can access pornographic websites.

Recent studies show that most teenagers have watched porn online and many kids encounter it by the time they turn 12. 

Harriss said Illinois should ensure companies take reasonable steps to ensure minors cannot see adult content.

"More than half of the states in this country have already taken action on this issue and others are continuing to come forward," Harriss said. "At the end of the day, this is about responsibility and keeping our kids safe."

Senate Bill 3945 states that businesses displaying porn should require customers to show their government-issued ID or records of public or private transactions to confirm they are 18. Companies would also face a $5,000 fine for each day they fail to have age verification methods. 

Each of the proposals is currently in the Senate Executive AI and Social Media Subcommittee. 

The Illinois House passed legislation earlier this month to set new restrictions on children's social media accounts and allow parents to impose greater control over online actions. Parents could enter their child's age when setting up a new device, and the plan creates default settings for software and websites.

Illinois would ban social media companies from using addictive algorithms for youth, stop on-platform location sharing and prohibit scam financial transactions with strangers online.

"Rather than transmitting data about a child's birthday directly to each app, House Bill 5511 gives parents the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their child is not being fed addictive content in a way that does not compromise their privacy," said Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview).

Sponsors said parents would be able to adjust restrictions to meet their child's needs and better monitor online activity. 

House Bill 5511 passed out of the House on an 82-27 vote. The proposal is currently assigned to the Senate Executive Committee.

Rezin and Harriss said they would like to see their plans pass out of the Senate before session ends next month, but both lawmakers stressed they would support any bills tackling this issue.

"If the federal government doesn't choose to protect our minors by passing substantive legislation, we will take a state approach," Rezin said. 

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