Arizona Social Media Laws 2024: What You Need to Know

---

Table of Contents#

1. Who Do Arizona Social Media Laws Apply To?
2. Key Arizona Social Media Laws Explained 2.1 Arizona Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (AZ COPPA, HB 2560) 2.2 Social Media Content Moderation Transparency Law (SB 1164) 2.3 Influencer Disclosure & Deceptive Advertising Rules 2.4 Public Employee & Elected Official Social Media Regulations 2.5 Cyberbullying, Harassment, and Doxxing Laws
3. Common Penalties for Non-Compliance
4. Practical Tips to Stay Compliant
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Final Takeaways
7. References

---

Who Do Arizona Social Media Laws Apply To?#

Arizona's social media rules cover a broad range of users and entities, even those based outside of the state:

• All Arizona residents, regardless of age
• Businesses and nonprofits operating in Arizona, or targeting products/services to Arizona consumers
• Social media platforms with 100,000+ monthly active U.S. users that serve Arizona audiences
• Public employees (K-12 school staff, state agency workers) and elected officials based in Arizona
• Influencers and content creators whose content is targeted to Arizona audiences

---

Key Arizona Social Media Laws Explained#

Arizona Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (AZ COPPA, HB 2560)#

Passed in 2023, AZ COPPA is stricter than the federal COPPA rule, which only protects children under 13. This law applies to all social media platforms with users under 16 in Arizona, and requires:

1. Explicit written parental consent before collecting, sharing, or selling personal data of users aged 15 or younger
2. Prohibition of targeted advertising to users under 16 based on their browsing activity, demographic data, or online behavior
3. A free, easy-to-use tool for parents to request full deletion of their child's data from the platform
4. Prohibition of promoting harmful content (eating disorder content, self-harm tutorials, substance use content) to users under 16

Note: Portions of AZ COPPA, including restrictions on algorithmic feeds, were blocked by a federal court injunction in 2024 pending further review.

Social Media Content Moderation Transparency Law (SB 1164)#

Enacted in 2022, SB 1164 applies only to large social media platforms with 100,000+ monthly active U.S. users. Core requirements include:

1. Publishing plain-English public reports every 90 days that outline the number of posts removed, the reason for removal, and demographic data on users whose content was taken down
2. Notifying Arizona users within 24 hours if their post is removed, and providing a formal appeal process for content takedowns

Note: Key provisions of SB 1164, including those restricting platforms from removing political speech, were blocked by a federal court injunction in 2023 pending further review. Legal challenges to the law remain ongoing.

Influencer Disclosure & Deceptive Advertising Rules#

Enforced by the Arizona Attorney General's Office under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act (ACFA), these rules apply to all content creators (even micro-influencers with 1,000 or fewer followers) who promote products to Arizona audiences. Requirements include:

1. Clear, unmissable disclosures for all sponsored content, where compensation includes cash, free products, discounts, free event tickets, paid travel, or other perks
2. Disclosures must appear before the "read more" cut-off in captions, be visible in the first 3 seconds of short-form video content, and use unambiguous language (e.g., #Ad, #Sponsored; vague tags like #Partner or #Collab are not compliant)
3. Prohibition of making false or unsubstantiated claims about a product's efficacy, safety, or benefits to Arizona consumers

Public Employee & Elected Official Social Media Regulations#

Two key rules govern public sector social media use in Arizona:

1. K-12 School Staff Rules (HB 2008, 2021): Prohibits public school employees from contacting current K-12 students via private, unmonitored social media accounts, or adding/following current students on personal social media profiles. All communications between staff and students must take place on school-approved, monitored platforms with parent awareness.
2. Public Records Rules for Officials: Any social media account used by an elected official or public agency for official business is classified as a public record. All posts, comments, and direct messages must be retained for a minimum of 7 years, and deleting official content is a misdemeanor offense.

Cyberbullying, Harassment, and Doxxing Laws#

Under Arizona Revised Statute §13-2921, the following social media conduct is illegal in the state:

1. Posting content intended to harass, intimidate, or cause severe emotional distress to another person
2. Doxxing (sharing another person's private address, phone number, or personal identifying information without their consent, with intent to cause harm)
3. Sharing non-consensual explicit images (revenge porn), which is classified as a Class 5 felony
4. Sending repeated threatening or abusive messages to another user via social media

---

Common Penalties for Non-Compliance#

---

Practical Tips to Stay Compliant#

1. For parents: Review your child's social media privacy settings annually, submit data deletion requests for unused accounts, and use platform parental controls to limit features for users under 16.
2. For influencers & small businesses: Add disclosures to the first line of captions or first 3 seconds of video content, keep records of all brand partnerships for 3+ years, and avoid making unproven claims about products you promote.
3. For public employees/officials: Maintain separate personal and official social media accounts, never contact current K-12 students via personal profiles, and archive all official social media activity for public records requests.
4. For all users: Avoid sharing other people's personal information without consent, do not post content that threatens or harasses others, and save proof of consent if you post content featuring other people.
5. For large platforms: Update your data collection processes to require parental consent for users under 16 in Arizona, publish quarterly moderation reports, and set up a dedicated appeal process for Arizona users.

---

Frequently Asked Questions#

Q: Do out-of-state influencers have to follow Arizona's disclosure rules?#

A: Yes. If your content is targeted to Arizona residents and promotes products or services to Arizona consumers, you are required to comply with the state's advertising disclosure rules.

Q: Can social media platforms remove hate speech under SB 1164?#

A: Yes. Hate speech that incites violence or violates federal law can generally be removed without penalty. The blocked provisions of SB 1164 would have only prohibited removal of certain legal political speech.

Q: What counts as compensation for sponsored content disclosures?#

A: Any perk of value counts, including free products, discount codes, gift cards, free event entry, paid travel, or cash payments.

Q: Can I get in trouble for sharing a meme that makes fun of a public figure?#

A: In most cases, no. Parody and commentary about public figures is protected under the First Amendment. You only face penalties if the content is intentionally false and harms the person's reputation (defamation) or is intended to incite harassment against them.

---

Final Takeaways#

Arizona's social media laws are designed to prioritize minor safety, hold large platforms accountable for transparent moderation, and protect consumers from deceptive digital advertising. While the rules cover a broad range of users, compliance is straightforward for most people and small businesses when you understand core requirements. If you are unsure whether your planned social media activity complies with state law, consult a local digital law attorney for personalized guidance.

---

References#

1. Arizona State Legislature. (2023). HB 2560: Arizona Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Retrieved from https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/56leg/2r/bills/hb2560s.pdf
2. Arizona State Legislature. (2022). SB 1164: Social Media Transparency Act. Retrieved from https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/2r/bills/sb1164s.pdf
3. Arizona Attorney General's Office. (2024). Influencer Advertising Guidance under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act. Retrieved from https://www.azag.gov/consumer-resources/advertising/influencer-guidance
4. Arizona State Legislature. (2021). HB 2008: Public School Employee Communication Rules. Retrieved from https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/55leg/1r/bills/hb2008s.pdf
5. Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2921. (2024). Harassment, Cyberbullying, and Revenge Porn Provisions. Retrieved from https://www.azleg.gov/ars/13/02921.html