A piece of legislation being taken up by Illinois lawmakers would require parents who generate revenue by posting videos of their kids online to share a portion of the earnings with their children.
Under Senate Bill 1782, a "vlogger" who features a minor in a specified amount of their content on an online platform must set aside a designated amount of gross earnings in a trust for the minor.
While traditional child actors are covered under child labor laws, the protections don't include young "influencers," social media users who have gained a significant following on social media, sometimes for knowledge on a specific topic.
“Too often these days, you hear of children being exploited by parents or guardians due to the success they make online,” Illinois Sen. Dave Koehler, who is among the bill's sponsors, said in a news release. “A digital footprint a young person did not agree to create should not follow them for the rest of their lives.”
According to the bill, any minor under the age of 16 years old who is in at least 30% of a vlogger's compensated video content within a 30-day period is required to receive compensation measured by the percentage of time the likeness, name, or photograph of the minor child appears in a segment. For instance, a child must receive 25% of the revenue if they're featured in 25% of the creator's content.
If the content includes multiple children, proceeds must be equally divided by the kids regardless of difference in percentage of content each provided, the bill's text states. The proceeds should be placed into a trust account that the minor will be able to access once they turn 18 years old, according to the bill. Upon turning 18, young influencers can request that any content in which they're featured in be deleted.
The bill is currently making its way through the state Senate.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.