Texas Gov. Abbott strengthens parental rights in education and online activity.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill banning kids under 18 from joining a wide variety of social media sites without parental consent. The bill requires social media companies to receive explicit consent from a minor’s parent or guardian before they’d be allowed to create their own accounts starting in September of next year. It also forces these companies to prevent children from seeing “harmful” content by creating new filtering systems. The law’s requirements to filter loosely defined “harmful material” and provide parents with control over their child’s accounts mirror language in some federal legislation that has spooked civil and digital rights groups.