HR6488-119

What This Bill Does

The RESET Act prohibits a covered platform from allowing an individual to create or maintain an account or profile if the platform knows the individual is a minor under age 16. Within 60 days after enactment, covered platforms must identify accounts or profiles they know belong to minors. Within 180 days after enactment, they must notify those users that the account or profile will be terminated. Within 30 days after notification, they must terminate the account or profile.

When an existing minor account is terminated, the platform must immediately delete all personal data collected from or submitted by that user. To the extent technically feasible and not barred by licensing agreements, the platform must allow the terminated user to request a copy of the user's personal data for 90 days after termination and must provide it within 45 days in readable and portable, structured, machine-readable formats.

Who Benefits and How

Minors under 16 benefit from removal from covered platforms and deletion of personal data when the platform knows they are minors. Parents and guardians concerned about child online safety benefit from a federal rule barring known minor accounts on covered platforms. The Federal Trade Commission benefits from express authority to enforce violations as unfair or deceptive acts or practices. State attorneys general benefit from parens patriae authority to seek injunctions, compliance, damages, restitution, compensation, or other relief for state residents.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Covered platforms must identify known minor accounts, send notices, terminate accounts, delete personal data, process data-copy requests, and defend against FTC or state enforcement. Minor users under 16 lose access to covered platform accounts even if they want to keep them. Platform privacy, trust-and-safety, engineering, and legal teams must build compliance workflows. States bear a preemption burden because state and local governments may not enforce laws or requirements related to the federal section's provisions.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits covered platforms from allowing accounts or profiles for known minors under 16.
• Requires platforms to identify known minor accounts within 60 days.
• Requires platforms to notify known minor users within 180 days and terminate accounts within 30 days after notice.
• Requires immediate deletion of personal data from terminated minor accounts.
• Provides a 90-day window for terminated users to request readable and portable copies of personal data.
• Requires platforms to fulfill data-copy requests within 45 days.
• Authorizes FTC enforcement and state attorney general civil actions.
• Preempts state and local laws related to the federal section's provisions.