SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) — A proposed bill would regulate parents exploiting their children on social media apps in Illinois.
The child labor-online content bill would ensure that children featured in online content would receive compensation for profit-generating videos.
It requires a specified amount to be set aside in a trust fund for the minor.
Senators David Koehler and Linda Holmes are backing the bill.
They said if we can sign this into law, the state would be a trendsetter, the first in the nation.
A 15-year-old student from Normal approached the senators with the bill idea. She said she wants to help protect her peers from being exploited for money.
“As someone who has grown up on the Internet, I have seen how kids that are too young to understand the gravity of what they are doing being forced to be featured on vlogs and generating income they won’t have access to,” said Shreya Nallamothu. “As these children grow up they will realize that all of the income they’ve been working for is no longer there.”
A similar bill in Washington State was unsuccessful.
According to Sen. Linda Holmes, child stars have long been given protection, so she said child YouTube and TikTok-type influencers should have the same rights.
“Traditional child actors have been protected for a number of years by child labor laws,” Holmes said. “However, there’s nothing on the books to protect these child influencers. Parents should not be able to profit from the work of their children.”
According to the senator, we must ensure kids are accurately compensated for their work without exploitation.
