Minnesota

Emerging Action

Minnesota at a glance

Minnesota's attorney general is actively holding tech companies accountable.
Minnesota requires districts to adopt phone policies, but does not mandate bell-to-bell restrictions.
Minnesota requires social media transparency disclosures and mental health warning labels.
Minnesota has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Minnesota does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law.

Areas of Opportunity

Expanding the statewide phone policy to require bell-to-bell restrictions will bring focused learning and real connection back to all Minnesota schools.
Passing a reasonable childhood independence law will protect Minnesota's families from unfair charges of neglect.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for Minnesota families.
Creating legal pathways for parents to sue tech companies for harms to minors will hold them accountable and incentivize safer product design.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in Minnesota.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
Minnesota requires districts to adopt phone policies, but does not mandate bell-to-bell restrictions. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
Minnesota does not yet have a reasonable childhood independence law, leaving too much discretion to the authorities and putting parents at risk of unfair neglect charges.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Attorney General Leadership
Attorney General Keith Ellison has been a vocal advocate for kids’ online safety, releasing reports on AI and social media's effects on young people and advocating stricter regulations. Minnesota has joined the lawsuit against Meta and signed the AI Child Safety Letter, AI Local Authority Letter, AI Chatbot Safety Letter, xAI Grok Letter, and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
Minnesota has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Harmful Design Regulation
Minnesota has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Tech Accountability
Minnesota has enacted a law requiring platforms to display mental health warning labels every time users log in, starting July 2026. Minnesota also passed a law that requires social media platforms to disclose how they assess user content preferences, their algorithmic ranking methods, and how they determine if notifications are time-sensitive. The law is currently being challenged, and therefore is not being enforced.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
Minnesota has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
Medium. Minnesota parents report that their kids experience:
- Moderate levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Moderate time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- Moderate screen time and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.