Senate president pushes bill to protect earnings, privacy of minors in monetized digital content

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz

By THE STAR STAFF

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz has introduced legislation that would require financial protections for underage content creators whose participation drives income on online platforms.

The number of minors seeking to make money online through digital creation by becoming content creators, offering freelance services in video editing or graphic design or selling digital products, is increasing with some making large sums of money. Rivera Schatz expressed the need to protect the right to privacy and dignity of minors.

The measure, Senate Bill (SB) 973, aims to establish the “Economic Protection Act for Minors Participating in Monetized Digital Content.” Rivera Schatz said the rapid expansion of the digital economy -- and the increasing presence of children in videos, livestreams and other monetized posts -- demands urgent regulatory action.

“Puerto Rico cannot remain indifferent to a reality in which minors are generating significant income without the minimum protections the State requires in other industries,” Rivera Schatz said. “This measure sets clear rules to guarantee that the economic benefits derived from their image and effort belong to them, and that their development, privacy and dignity are respected.”

At the heart of the proposal is a requirement that parents, guardians or caregivers reserve at least 30% of the gross income generated by monetized content in which a minor participates. That amount could rise to 50% when the child is the main figure or appears consistently throughout the content. The funds would be deposited into a trust or protected account under the child’s name and could only be accessed once the minor reaches adulthood -- —unless a court authorizes earlier use in the child’s best interest.

The bill also recognizes the right of the young adult, upon turning 18, to take legal action to recover any earnings that were not properly deposited. It further grants them the right to request the removal of digital content they appeared in during childhood.

Rivera Schatz stressed that the legislation is not designed to hinder creativity or digital expression, but rather to ensure that minors -- some of whom earn substantial sums online -- are not left unprotected in an industry with few guardrails.

“Technological innovation and freedom of expression cannot be excuses to leave our minors unprotected,” he added. “This legislation seeks a responsible balance between digital creativity and the State’s duty to ensure the well‑being and economic rights of children.”

The proposal mirrors laws already implemented in states such as Illinois, California, Minnesota and Utah, which have extended labor and economic protections to minors involved in monetized digital content, recognizing it as a modern form of creative work and public exposure.

SB 973 would direct the Department of Labor and Human Resources -- working alongside the Family and Justice departments, and the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions -- to develop regulations for implementing the law. It also calls for educational programs to inform parents, guardians and minors about the rights, risks and legal obligations associated with producing profit‑driven digital content.

With the initiative, Rivera Schatz said, Puerto Rico is taking a necessary step toward updating its legal framework to reflect the realities of the digital economy -- and ensuring that minors who help generate large online revenues are protected, both financially and personally.