Illinois Becomes First State to Regulate Child Influencers

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Illinois became the first state to pass regulations to protect child influencers. Set to take effect on January 1st, 2024, the law stipulates that influencers under the age of 16 must be compensated if they appear in at least 30% of a video or online content within a 30-day span and an adult, such as a parent or caregiver, receives payment. The adult is then obligated to allocate funds into a trust account, which the child can access upon turning 18.

This is a significant step forward in providing more protection for child influencers, similar to the protections that exist for child actors. While Illinois may be the first state to enact such a law, it's not the only state pushing for regulations for child influencers. Washington has also proposed a similar bill, but it has been stalled for the past six months. Although Illinois' bill lacks some of the robust components found in Washington's proposal, such as the ability for child influencers to request the deletion of content featuring them, it's still a victory. This advancement will push for more much-needed regulations, especially since some parents showcase their children in questionable content aiming to go viral.