RI H7953

Prohibits Rhode Island residents under 18 from holding accounts on social media platforms with at least 5 million worldwide account holders, effective January 1, 2027

Requires social media companies to verify age of all Rhode Island account holders using government-issued identification, with new accounts verified at signup and existing accounts within 14 days of access attempt

Grants the Department of Business Regulation authority to receive complaints, investigate violations, and impose administrative fines up to $2,500 per violation, with repeat violations subject to $5,000 civil penalties

Creates private right of action allowing aggrieved individuals to sue for $2,500 per violation or actual damages, plus attorneys' fees and court costs

Exempts numerous services from the social media definition, including email, direct messaging, streaming services, e-commerce sites, gaming platforms, professional networking sites, educational tools, and cloud services