Governor Whitmer Calls for Federal Social Media Crackdown After Hosting Michigan Internet Summit

Governor Gretchen Whitmer stood before a roomful of youth advocates, content creators, and activists Tuesday and made it clear: Michigan has done all it can at the state level, but the real battle requires federal action.

"We've taken the action that we can at the state level, but we need to do a hell of a lot more," Whitmer said at the summit on tech accountability and online safety. "We'll do what we can. So long as I'm governor, we'll make sure to do that, but, I think, ultimately, I think we are going to need federal legislation on this front."

The summit, hosted by activist group Her Campus Media, focused on what organizers described as the harms caused by social media companies that "put their interests ahead of protecting vulnerable users."

Windsor Western, a co-founder of Her Campus Media, told the crowd that recent jury verdicts in New Mexico and Los Angeles had held social media companies liable for using online addiction to meet growth targets.

"We are officially in a new era," Western said. "Last month's verdicts against Meta and YouTube proved what everyone in this room already knew – that infinite scroll is not an accident. They did it on purpose. It was an engineering choice to keep us all addicted."

Meta and YouTube could appeal those verdicts.

Michigan Has Taken Steps at State Level

Michigan has already passed several laws to limit screens in classrooms, ban holding devices while driving, and punish the use of AI to create graphic images of people without their consent.

But Whitmer emphasized that online bullying and tech industry practices don't respect state borders.

"There are bills awaiting action in the Michigan Senate that would require social media companies to take steps to protect minors from harmful business practices that have been linked in some instances to depression and suicide risk," the governor said.

The Kids Over Clicks Package

During the summit, Whitmer criticized major tech companies for the role they play in shaping young users' online experiences.

"The companies that are supposed to keep us safe have profited at our expense, deliberately keeping us scrolling and spiraling," Whitmer said.

She also noted that technology still has the potential to create positive spaces.

"Toxic algorithms are no match for positivity and decency. And the technology that has divided us also has the potential to bring us together and build community," Whitmer said.

The "Kids Over Clicks" package, which passed through a Senate committee in late March, would ban what lawmakers define as "addictive online feeds" for Michigan minors without parental consent. The bills would also require covered online service providers to set default privacy settings for minors to the highest level and bar minors from using certain chatbot features.

State Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), who sponsors Senate Bill 760 regulating chatbot features for minors, said artificial intelligence companion chatbot systems are "being deployed at scale, marketed as friendly, supportive and conversational."

"Yet, they're being released without any meaningful safeguards for minors," Polehanki said.

Personal Stories Drive the Push

The push for legislation has been bolstered by personal stories from families who say social media has taken a toll on their children.

Charay Gadd brought her story to the Michigan State Capitol in March after her daughter London lost her life to online addiction that summer.

"We had rules, we had boundaries," Gadd said. "I took her phone at night. I was present. And still, the addictive algorithm found her."

Gadd told lawmakers during a March 4 hearing in the Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee: "Please lead. Please act and please protect Michigan's children."

Industry Pushback

Not everyone agrees with the approach. Bartlett Cleland, general counsel for NetChoice – an association whose members include Google, TikTok, Meta, YouTube and Amazon – testified before the committee that some of the package would be unconstitutional.

"You need only open any of the apps that any of my members provide, or their products themselves, to see all of the different tools that parents and kids are provided for use of their products," Cleland said.

NetChoice argued that "corporations also have a right to expression, just as kids have a right to hearing and being able to engage in free speech within bounds."

Concern also arose over how minors could potentially bypass the measures. Senator Mark Huizenga (R-Walker) questioned whether the bills actually solve the problems.

"These kids look for, then, proxy servers and other ways to then work their way around it," Huizenga said. "Are we really solving the problems with what we're talking about in these bills, or do we need to go deeper, or what really is the solution?"

Dr. Elizabeth Hill, a pediatrician who testified in support of the package, defended the approach as one of many layers needed to protect children.

"I think about, you know, working small, working from one spot, and working our way outward," Hill said.

Summit Participants

The summit featured youth advocates, content creators, and actress Lexi Underwood. Michigan State University student and entrepreneur Alina Morse, founder of Zolli Candy, told the crowd that creators often feel pressure from the algorithms that determine what content gets seen.

"It's the algorithm. It's not always the audience. It's not always what you're putting out there. It's not always the influencer's fault," Morse said.

The bills now sit before the full Michigan Senate for consideration after the Senate committee voted to move them forward in late March with amendments compared to their initial drafts.

What's Next

While the Senate is out of session until next week, the governor's call for federal action signals that Michigan will continue to push for stronger protections at the national level.

Whitmer's administration has been active in legal challenges to federal policies affecting Michigan, including recent lawsuits against federal mail-in voting executive orders. The administration has also been working to help Michigan businesses seek refunds on tariffs struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

But on the issue of online safety, Whitmer made it clear: this requires action that goes beyond state lines.

"Online bullying and tech industry practices to keep children online don't stop at state borders," Whitmer said. "We need federal legislation on this front."

Sources:

• Michigan Public Radio Network (WEMU-FM) - https://www.wemu.org/michigan-news/2026-04-08/whitmer-tells-internet-summit-federal-action-needed-to-protect-kids
• Michigan Public Radio Network (WVPE) - https://www.wvpe.org/michigan-public-radio-network-news/2026-04-07/whitmer-tells-internet-summit-federal-action-needed-to-protect-kids
• WILX (Wnem) - https://www.wnem.com/2026/04/08/whitmer-hosts-summit-social-medias-impact-young-people/
• WZZM 13 - https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/politics/michigan-politics/at-the-capitol-michigan-lawmakers-consider-kids-over-clicks-bills/69-2bf0bc5a-6df9-485f-aefd-32dfb09fd8e6