House Bill 173 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ben RobbinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Consumer protection; access by minors to certain platform portions restricted; hours for sending notifications to covered minors limited; default platform settings on certain platforms required; mechanism for more stringent optional settings required; annual disclosure of certain data by covered operators required; violations a deceptive trade practice

Summary

HB173 would restrict access for minors on covered platforms, impose default and parental control settings, limit notifications, require annual disclosures, and treat violations as Deceptive Trade Practices.

What This Bill Does

If enacted, the bill would block parts of covered platforms that use age or device data to surface media for minors unless age is confirmed or parental consent is obtained. It would limit when platforms can send notifications to minors and require default restrictions on access and engagement, with a mechanism for parents to demand stricter settings. Operators would annually disclose certain usage data, and violations would be treated as Deceptive Trade Practices under Alabama law.

Who It Affects

• Minors under 18 who use covered platforms would experience restricted access to recommendation-based media, limited notifications, and default time-based restrictions unless parents consent or settings are adjusted.
• Covered platform operators (the platforms affected by the bill) would have to implement age checks or consent, enforce default and parental controls, publicly disclose annual data, and face penalties for violations.

Key Provisions

• Restrictions on access to media-item recommendations, selections, or prioritizations that are based on information linked to the user or their device, unless age is determined or parent/guardian consent is obtained.
• Notifications to minors limited to 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Central Time unless parent/guardian verifiably consents to outside hours; default time-based restrictions and a one-hour-per-day cap on certain recommendation-based content.
• Parents/guardians can require more stringent settings (time frames, daily limits, and restricted content visibility) for their minor's account.
• Annual disclosures by covered operators of usage metrics for the previous calendar year, starting by March 1, 2028.
• Violations of the law are treated as Deceptive Trade Practices under Alabama law.
• Effective date of October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 11, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Consumer Protection