Michigan Lawmakers Advance Kids Over Clicks Bill as Governor Hosts Social Media Summit

State senators push legislation to ban addictive online feeds for minors amid growing tech accountability concerns

State Representative Charay Gadd testified before the Michigan Senate committee in March after losing her daughter to what she describes as the addictive algorithms of social media platforms.

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

Gadd is now part of a bipartisan effort to limit how technology platforms interact with Michigan minors through new legislation dubbed "Kids Over Clicks." The bill package includes provisions that would ban addictive online feeds for minors without parental consent and restrict access to certain chatbot features.

What the Bills Would Do

State Senator Dayna Polehanki, sponsoring Senate Bill 760, outlined the core provisions during the March 4 hearing before the Senate Finance, Insurance and Consumer Protection Committee.

The package would:

• Define and ban "addictive online feeds" for Michigan minors without parental consent
• Require covered online service providers to set default privacy settings for minors to the highest level
• Bar minors from using certain chatbot features
• Strengthen privacy protections for young users

State Senator Darrin Camilleri, sponsoring Senate Bill 757, said the legislation aims to protect Michigan's children from technology that exploits them.

"We're now asking today to help go another step in protecting our kids from using some of this harmful technology," Camilleri said during the hearing.

Governor Whitmer Weighs In

The legislative push comes as Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently hosted a summit on social media's impact on young people in Lansing. Leaders in the tech industry, youth advocates, and content creators attended the event.

During the summit, Whitmer criticized major technology companies for their role 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 emphasized 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 stated.

Michigan State University student and entrepreneur Alina Morse, founder of Zolli Candy, attended the summit and shared her perspective on algorithm pressure.

"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.

Industry Pushback

The bills faced pushback during the March 4 committee hearing. Bartlett Cleland, general counsel for NetChoice — an association whose members include Google, TikTok, Meta, YouTube and Amazon — testified against certain provisions.

Cleland argued some aspects of the package would be unconstitutional and could expose taxpayers to litigation costs in defense of the bills.

"Turns out 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," Cleland told committee members.

State Senator Mark Huizenga, speaking on behalf of Republican concerns, questioned whether the legislation would actually solve the underlying problems.

"I wonder if this should be federal policy, if we should look at solutions that way, because it seems like anytime we have people with addictions or the kids that have a strong pension for finding ways around the mouse trap, it isn't quite enough," Huizenga said.

Huizenga raised concerns about enforcement and loopholes.

"These kids look for, then, proxy servers and other ways to then work their way around it. 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?" he asked.

Bipartisan Support Despite Concerns

Despite the pushback, the committee voted in late March to move the bills forward, with several amendments compared to their initial drafts. The bills now sit before the full Senate for consideration.

Dr. Elizabeth Hill, a pediatrician testifying in support of the package, defended the legislation as one layer of protection.

"I think of this as one of the many layers to protect our kids. You know, I think about working small, working from one spot, and working our way outward," Hill said.

State Senator Darrin Camilleri emphasized the bipartisan nature of the effort.

"We, together, on a bipartisan basis, limited cell phone usage in our schools. We're now asking today to help go another step in protecting our kids from using some of this harmful technology," Camilleri said.

National Context

The Michigan legislation arrives amid national developments in the tech accountability space. A jury verdict in California in late March found tech giants Meta and YouTube liable in a case alleging addictive practices.

Massachusetts lawmakers have also moved forward with similar restrictions, including a bill to ban kids under 14 from social media and prohibit cellphone use during the school day.

As Michigan legislators consider the Kids Over Clicks package, the debate reflects a growing national conversation about how to balance technological innovation with child protection and privacy rights.

The full Senate will consider the bills when it returns from its break next week.

Sources

• WZZM 13: https://wzzm13.com/article/news/politics/michigan-politics/at-the-capitol-michigan-lawmakers-consider-kids-over-clicks-bills/69-2bf0bc5a-6df9-485f-aefd-32dfb09fd8e6
• WNEM 10: https://wnem.com/2026/04/08/whitmer-hosts-summit-social-medias-impact-young-people