Illinois

Limited Action

Illinois at a glance

Illinois' attorney general is actively holding tech companies accountable.
Illinois would benefit from a clearer reasonable childhood independence law.
Illinois has not mandated a restriction on phones in schools.
Illinois has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Illinois has not yet passed any major laws that regulate harmful tech or hold companies liable.

Areas of Opportunity

Passing a statewide bell-to-bell phone-free schools policy will bring focused learning and real connection back to Illinois' schools.
Revising vague endangerment laws will protect Illinois' families from unfair charges of neglect.
Setting a social media age minimum of 16 with no parental consent loophole will solve the collective action problem for Illinois families.
Enacting laws that address harmful social media design and AI safety will protect Illinois’ kids from manipulative technology.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in Illinois.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
Illinois has not yet mandated a statewide restriction on phones in schools. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
Illinois took a positive step for its families by amending its neglect law to clarify that children’s independent activities are “not neglect,” but the state “continues to prosecute endangerment under a vague law and makes it a criminal offense to allow a child to be alone in a car under the age of six,” according to Let Grow.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Attorney General Leadership
Attorney General Kwame Raoul has been active on tech accountability, joining both the multistate lawsuits against Meta and TikTok. Illinois led the AI Child Safety Letter and signed the AI Local Authority Letter, AI Chatbot Safety Letter, xAI Grok Letter, and Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
Illinois has not enacted any significant social media age restrictions.
Regulating Harmful Design
Illinois has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Holding Tech Companies Accountable
Illinois has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
Illinois has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
Medium. Illinois parents report that their kids experience:
- Moderate levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Moderate time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- Moderate screen time and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.