- New law in Illinois believed to be the first of its kind in the US
- Aims to financially reward children who appear in parents’ influencer videos
- Other states are considering amending child labor laws along similar lines
A new law has come into force in Illinois that aims to ensure children are rewarded financially if they appear in their influencer parents’ social media videos.
First of its kind
The bill, which came into effect at the start of this month, is believed to the be first of its kind in the US. It stipulates that any child under the age of 16 who appears in at least 30% of their parent’s or caregiver’s videos or online content – for which they are being paid – within a 30-day period is compensated for that.
It is up to the parent/caregiver making the videos to ensure that the gross earnings are set aside in a trust account, which the child will have access to when they turn 18.
The law does not give the state the power to force parents/caregivers to set aside earnings for their offspring, but it does give the child a route to legal action, if necessary, when they reach adulthood to claim recompense for their appearances.
Growing industry
As the influencer industry continues to grow – including parenting influencers – other states are looking into amending their child labor laws in similar ways, including Washington and California.
Parenting or family vlogs can be lucrative. For instance, an influencer with more than 1 million followers on social media platforms such as Instagram can be paid $20,000 or more for a sponsored post, while even those with 100,000 followers can earn $4,000 for sponsored content, Johanna Grange, co-founder of Oak Street Social, told Good Morning America.
