Illinois has become the first U.S. state to protect the earnings of child influencers.
A new law passed this week will require parents or guardians who generate revenue from online, family-style content to set aside some of the revenue for the children used in the content.
The law
Children (people under 16) who have a prominent role in online, monetised content, such as a family vlog, will now be guaranteed some of the revenue.
This will be overseen by the parent or guardian posting the videos. The money would be placed into a trust account that the child would only be able to access once they become an adult.
How will child influencers be paid?
The amount each child influencer is paid would depend on the success of the content, and how many minors are in the content.
It would apply to child influencers featured on “at least 30% of the vlogger’s compensated video content produced within a 30-day period included the likeness, name, or photograph of the minor”.
The laws come into effect in July next year.
Why does it matter?
The two Democrat Senators who introduced the legislation said it updated labour laws to reflect new advances in technology, and the surge of social media content in recent years.
“In this digital age, parents should not profit off their children’s work, as was established for film and television in the years before YouTube or TikTok existed,” Senator Linda Holmes said.
