In an increasingly digital world, finding new ways to protect children is becoming more important. Claiming to take a stand against exploitation in social media, the state of Illinois recently passed a law that gives financial security and protection to child influencers.
The law was proposed by Sen. David Koehler of Peoria and was signed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. It will go into effect in 2024. According to Koehler, the law is based on protecting the social media rights of children, and preventing parents from receiving the profits from their children’s online content. It will entitle child influencers to a percentage of their earnings based on the number of views their content receives.
This law is believed to be the first in the nation to offer financial compensation and protection for child influencers. It comes with added complications in that the content must be produced in Illinois, and children must make up at least 30 percent of the content in a 30-day period to qualify. Video bloggers, or bloggers, will need to maintain records of children’s appearances and will be responsible for setting aside earnings in a trust account until the child turns 18. The law was partly inspired by 15-year-old Shreya Nallamothu, who noticed a gap that needed to be filled when it comes to children rights in the digital age.
However, many other states have not followed suit in giving children the rights they deserve online. In California, a 2018 child labor bill included a similar provision, but it was removed eventually. Washington state attempted to pass a bill in 2023, but the legislation stalled out in committee. On the opposite spectrum, a handful of Republican-led states have loosened child labor laws to ease workforce shortages.
You know, when I was little my family didn’t have much. I had a paper route (just a small one) and after school would deliver newspapers. I never really saw a dime of it in hand but it put food on the table, clothes on bike, and provided heat in the winter. Now, we’ve all seen what some families have done to their Hollywood child stars but man…times have changed.
