Illinois has joined the ranks of U.S. states demanding age verification from operating systems and app stores. Governor JB Pritzker signed HB5511, the Children’s Online Social Media Safety Act, creating a framework that forces covered manufacturers—device makers, OS providers, and app stores—to prompt for a child’s birth date at account setup by January 1, 2028. hinnThe birth date is converted into one of four brackets: under 13, 13‑15, 16‑17, or 18 and up. All transmitted digital signals must be encrypted, allowing apps to pull the bracket via an API once a user downloads or launches them.

When an app receives a signal that a user is a minor, it is legally treated as having “actual knowledge” and must enable a set of safety settings: feeds are restricted, profiles hidden from strangers, adult messages blocked, precise location masked, and notifications darkened between 10 PM and 7 AM. Parents can override defaults, and minors over 16 may do so themselves. Apps have until July 1, 2028 to request signals, with violations punishable up to $50,000 each, enforced by the state Attorney General.

The bill was led by Rep. Jennifer Gong‑Gershowitz in the House, with co‑sponsors Margaret Croke and Janet Yang Rohr, and carried by Sen. Willie Preston in the Senate. It passed 82‑27 in the House and 57‑0 in the Senate before unanimous final concurrence.

Unlike Colorado’s SB26‑051 and California’s AB‑1043, Illinois offers no exemption for open‑source operating systems, leaving Linux distributions and others fully subject to the new requirements.