Illinois Just Told Every Operating System to Start Reporting Your Kid's Age
Illinois has passed the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act, requiring device manufacturers and app stores to implement age verification for users. By 2028, platforms must restrict certain features for minors based on age brackets to enhance online safety.
Why it matters
This legislation represents a growing trend of state-level intervention in digital privacy and child safety, creating new compliance requirements for tech companies.
Illinois has become the latest U.S. state to pull operating systems into the age verification pool. Governor JB Pritzker has signed HB5511 , the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act , putting forward a new age verification framework for every device sold or used in the state.
The bill imposes age check on " covered manufacturers ," a category that lumps device makers, operating system providers, and app stores together.
By January 1, 2028 , these manufacturers have to build an interface at account setup asking a parent or account holder for the child's birth date. That date is then converted into one of four age brackets: under 13 , 13 to 15 , 16 to 17 , or 18 and up .
The law also stipulates that all transmitted digital signals have to be encrypted.
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