Senate Study Committee on the Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Adopts Final Report

ATLANTA (December 19, 2025) - The Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee, created by Senate Resolution 431 earlier this year and co-chaired by Sen. Sally Harrell (D-Atlanta) and Sen. Shawn Still (R-Suwanee), unanimously adopted its final report on December 10.

Following five months of testimony from parents, technology, education, and mental health experts, the Committee found that the law has not kept pace with the rapid development of online platforms and how kids use them today. The bipartisan report calls for a more robust approach to protect kids that puts parents in charge, safeguards kids' mental health and privacy, and requires platforms to act more responsibly without stifling innovation and competition.

"We've gone from a play-based childhood to a phone-based one, with kids spending roughly five hours a day on their phones instead of exploring the world around them, taking risks and learning how to correct mistakes. The result is a generation that's more digitally connected but increasingly lonely, anxious and depressed. Through this Committee process, we heard heart-wrenching stories of kids taking their own lives as a result of these platforms," said Sen. Harrell. "Parents are overwhelmed by the constantly changing landscape. Current parental controls are confusing, hard to use and ineffective. With the rapid development of AI, all of this is only going to get worse unless we act now."

"We are putting this report forward knowing that the giant technology companies don't want this. The Senate will be going into battle together to pass bipartisan legislation," said Sen. Still. "There has to be a balance between profit and responsibility to protect our children. That balance will be our guiding light as we move into the 2026 Legislative Session."

Recommendations from the final report include:

• Supporting Education and Awareness:
  
  Recommends expanding Georgia's recent Bell-to-Bell cellphone ban to high schools and encourages expanded digital literacy education and public awareness efforts to help families better understand online risks and manage children's digital experiences safely.
• Strengthening Parental Controls:
  
  Calls for stronger parental consent before minors access digital platforms, including reforms to App Store practices to link parental accounts to their kids, to give parents greater power to control App Store downloads, purchases and content exposure.
• Limiting Addictive and Harmful Platform Design:
  
  Recommends limiting manipulative design features that encourage excessive use and promoting safer default settings that prioritize children's privacy and well-being over engagement
• Protecting Children from AI-Driven Harms:
  
  Recommends defining AI platforms as a product subject to product liability laws. Urges safeguards for AI systems and chatbots used by minors, including safety testing, transparency requirements and restrictions on emotionally manipulative or persuasive AI behavior
• Updating Privacy and Data Use Standards:
  
  Supports stronger default privacy protections for minors, clearer data-use disclosures, and limits on targeted advertising and data tracking involving children.
  

The full report is available on the Georgia General Assembly website here.

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Sen. Sally Harrell represents the 40^th Senate District, which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. She may be reached by phone at (404) 656-7871 or by email at [email protected].

Sen. Shawn Still serves as Majority Caucus Chair. He represents the 48^thSenate District, which includes portions of Forsyth, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-7127 or by email at [email protected].

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