Attorney General Jay Jones has announced that his office will enforce new rules under the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act to limit minors’ use of social media platforms. The law, effective January 1, 2026, requires companies to restrict users under 16 to one hour of daily access unless a parent opts to change this limit.
The move follows the Attorney General’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit from NetChoice, a trade group for social media companies. The lawsuit seeks to block Virginia’s law and would allow companies to continue offering unrestricted access to their services for minors.
Under the law, social media platforms must use “commercially reasonable methods, such as a neutral age screen mechanism, to determine whether a user is a minor younger than 16” and “to limit a minor’s use of social media platform to one hour per day, per service or application.” Parents can provide verifiable consent if they wish to increase or decrease this time restriction.
Companies found violating the law will receive notice and have 30 days to correct their practices. Continued non-compliance may lead to enforcement actions with penalties up to $7,500 per violation and possible court orders stopping unlawful conduct.
“As a father, there is nothing more important to me than the emotional, mental, and physical safety of our children. Today’s announcement ensures that parents and caregivers have the final say in how much social media content their children consume, not the unscrupulous tech companies,” Attorney General Jones said. “By enforcing our consumer protection laws, Virginia can and will take meaningful steps to protect our children and hold bad actors accountable.”
Research links heavy social media use among minors with increased anxiety, depression, isolation, sleep problems, eating disorders, delayed social skills development, shorter attention spans, and negative effects on academic performance.
Families can report violations by filing complaints with the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section or by calling hotlines provided for both statewide and Richmond-area residents. The Office of the Attorney General offers additional resources for consumer protection such as identity theft prevention and fraud reporting. It also provides legal support for state agencies while working on public safety issues like human trafficking and domestic violence across Virginia communities (https://oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases).
The Attorney General’s office delivers programs supporting civil rights enforcement and victim assistance while serving all regions of Virginia (https://oag.state.va.us/media-center/news-releases).
