Illinois Just Told Every Operating System to Start Reporting Your Kid's Age

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed HB5511, the Children's Online Social Media Safety Act, requiring device makers and operating system providers to collect children's age brackets at account setup by January 1, 2028. Apps can then access this age data through an API and must activate safety restrictions for minors, including limited feeds, hidden profiles, and blocked messages from adults, with violations costing up to $50,000. Unlike similar laws in Colorado and California, Illinois's bill does not currently include an exemption for open source platforms like Linux.