{"id":365,"date":"2026-04-21T14:51:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/freshtaketn\/?p=365"},"modified":"2026-04-21T14:54:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T14:54:23","slug":"tennessee-bill-targets-social-media-content-featuring-minors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/freshtaketn\/2026\/04\/21\/tennessee-bill-targets-social-media-content-featuring-minors\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee bill targets social media content featuring minors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Nashville-based
Nashville-based content creators of the LaBrant family have built a large following on social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, frequently featuring their children in sponsored and promotional content. Under proposed Senate Bill 1469, revenue-generating content in which minors feature prominently could be subject to new regulations, including requirements regarding compensation and age restrictions. Photo Courtesy of The LaBrant Family Facebook page.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NASHVILLE, Tenn. \u2014 State legislators completed their work on a bill aimed at regulating commercialized social media content featuring minors in attempt to answer questions about child labor protections, parental authority, and the digital economy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal introduced by Representative Ron Travis, R-Dayton, and Senator Page Walley, R-Savannah, establishes new legal standards for the involvement of minors in online content that generates revenue. The proposal aims to bring child labor laws up-to-date with the times<\/a> and address what lawmakers describe as a rapidly growing and largely unregulated industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill now sits on Governor Bill Lee\u2019s desk waiting for his signature or veto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis bill updates Tennessee laws to address an issue that simply did not exist when most of our child labor protections were written,\u201d Travis said. \u201cThe rise of monetized social media content featuring children.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the legislation, minors would be considered \u201cengaged\u201d in content creation if they appear in at least 30% of an account\u2019s paid video over a 30-day period, and it generates significant revenue. The bill specifically applies to monetized content, and not to casual, informal social media use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legislators emphasized the measure is intended to target commercial content and not everyday posts from families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It applies exclusively to cases where people earn money from this content,” Travis said. He noted that unpaid or non-monetized videos would not fall under the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A core piece of the bill requires content creators to deposit a portion of the revenue generated from videos featuring minors into a protected trust account. For minors ages 14 to 17, these funds remain reserved until the individual reaches the age of 18, ensuring they are compensated for their role in generating income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen a child participates in a meaningful way in monetized online content, that child receives fundamental protections comparable to those that have long been provided,\u201d Walley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law would grant minors greater control over their digital footprint. Individuals who are at least 14 years of age or older and appeared in content while they were minors are given the right to request that content in which they are recognizably shown be removed<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supporters say these measures are necessary to prevent financial exploitation and ensure fairness as social media continues to reshape what livable income looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe digital economy has created new forms of work involving children,\u201d Walley said. \u201cOur laws should evolve to ensure that those children are treated fairly and protected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n