Utah's New TikTok Law Targeting Family Vloggers Could Actually Give Abusers More Power, Child Safety Expert Warns

Utah's new social media law was meant to crack down on exploitative family vloggers — but child safety experts say it could actually make life more dangerous for vulnerable kids by giving abusive guardians more control over their online presence.

The law officially titled SB 194 and signed on March 13 was introduced in response to growing public concern over children being monetized and overexposed in family vlogs. Specifically, in the wake of high-profile scandals like the "8 Passengers" case, where Utah mom Ruby Franke was convicted of child abuse after years of profiting off videos featuring her kids.

Lawmakers framed the bill as a way to protect minors from being exploited online, with an emphasis on requiring parents to share earnings and obtain permission before featuring their children on monetized platforms like TikTok and YouTube, as reported by User Mag.

"This law is like the fox is guarding the hen house," Maureen Flatley, a child exploitation and safety expert said. "Ruby Franke was abusing her kids, so why would you have the abuser be the trustee of anything?"

While the bill was designed to curb parental exploitation, experts like child safety advocate Ifeoma Ozoma warn that it may unintentionally harm children in abusive households. Since the law gives legal guardians more power over a minor's content and earnings, it could silence kids who use social media as an outlet or a form of independence — especially older teens trying to document abuse, advocate for themselves, or simply express their identities.

The law also doesn't apply retroactively, meaning kids who were already exploited for years won't see any restitution.

"This bill is not going to solve a problem, and it may even lead to more exploitation. This is what we've seen all over the place with these kids and social media bills," Flatley said. "They're almost unfailingly written by people who have an axe to grind or are interested in virtue signaling and not what would actually be effective."

SB 194 is set to go into effect in 2026, giving platforms and families time to adjust — but advocates are urging lawmakers to revise the law to account for cases where guardians are the abusers.