Illinois has just passed a law that will allow child influencers to be compensated whenever they appear on their parents social medias or for any video appearances they make online.
We all know that influencers with kids make a fair swag of money from filming their everyday lives, specifically interactions with their kids. And whilst most influencer parents save social media for the cute moments, some parents post far more personal moments, like toilet training or even their child’s first period.
This kind of content can be pretty damaging though, with videos of kids tending to go viral and result in brand deals and partnerships for the parents — and very rarely the kids.
Experts have warned against “sharenthood” saying that sharing too much on social media can cause serious harm to children.
Whilst there are laws already in place that ensure parents set aside their children’s earnings when it comes to movies and television appearances, Illinois is the first U.S. state to pass a law that covers less traditional forms of media, including social media.
As per AP News, the new law covers children under the age of 16 that are featured in content on monetised platforms and it will entitle them to “a percentage of earnings based on how often they appear on video blogs or online content”.
“The rise of social media has given children new opportunities to earn a profit,” said Senator David Koehler in a press release.
“Many parents have taken this opportunity to pocket the money, while making their children continue to work in these digital environments.”
Senator Koehler had received communications from 16-year-old Shreya Nallamothu, prompting the new law when Nallamothu voiced concerns over the rights of child influencers after she was assigned study project at school.
“I wasn’t really aware of [this issue] until it was brought to my attention.” she told Teen Vogue.
“Child influencing… is work at the end of the day,” Nallamothu said.
“It’s labour and they deserve to be compensated for their labour.”
The new law will entitle child influencers to a percentage of earnings that is based on how often they appear in vlogs or in any online content that generates at least 10 cents per view.
To qualify for the compensation, there are some rules.
First up, the content has to be created in Illinois, and kids would have to be featured in at least 30% of their parents content in a 30-day period.
Vloggers would be responsible for maintaining any and all records of their kids’ appearances on socials, and must set aside all the gross earnings in a trust that the child can access when they turn 18. Otherwise, their child could sue them.
Children “deserve to be shielded from parents who would attempt to take advantage of their child’s talents and use them for their own financial gain,” said Alex Gough, a spokesperson for the Illinois Govenor J.B. Pritzker, after the legislation was signed.
The bill was passed in May and will come into effect next year.
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