Florida State Governor, Ron DeSantis signed a law on Monday limiting minors under 14 access to social media amid growing concerns in the US about the influence of this platforms on teens.
The state will prohibit 13-year-olds and those younger from opening social media accounts, while 14- and 15-year-olds would require parental approval to access such platforms.
Additionally, the HB3 bill mandates that social media platforms remove any active accounts belonging to anyone under the age of 14.
Companies who don’t comply risk being sued on behalf of the minor who registers for an account on the website. The Bill stipulates that the minor could be rewarded of up to $10,000 in damages.
Companies that are found to have broken the law may also be responsible for legal fees and court costs, in addition to fines of up to $50,000 per infraction.
According to DeSantis, “We are attempting to assist parents in navigating the challenging terrain of raising this children at this time and I am grateful for the work that is being put in”.
A more stringent version of the law that would have prohibited children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts was previously vetoed by DeSantis. Additionally, the bill mandated that citizens of Florida provide identification or other identifying documents in order to access social media.
With HB3 set to go into effect in January 2025, attempts to control social media are intensifying nationwide as a result of worries expressed by some parents that the platforms are not doing enough to protect their children online.
The CEOs of TikTok, X, and Meta were questioned by Lawmakers in January on online child safety. The tech CEOs reiterated their dedication to ensuring the protection of children and cited the range of tools available as instances of their proactive efforts to stop child exploitation on the internet.
Speaker of the Florida House, Paul Renner and other proponents of the new law contend that using social media can have negative effects on children’s mental health and increase the likelihood that sexual predators will approach kids.
Renner stated after the bill signing that “none of us can afford to be on the sidelines when it comes to social media.”
A consortium of social media companies called NetChoice LLC, whose members include Meta, Google, and X among others, has filed challenges against several states that have passed legislation restricting teen use of social media, such as Ohio and Arkansas.
Florida’s law also seems likely to face legal challenges over claims that it violates the First Amendment.
Vice president and general counsel for NetChoice Carl Szabo stated in an email that he was “disappointed to see Gov. DeSantis sign onto this route” and that the law was “unconstitutional.”
“Without impairing their freedoms, there are better ways to keep Floridians, relatives, and their data safe and secure online.”
In their remarks, DeSantis and Renner both mentioned the possible legal obstacles that lie ahead.
“This bill does not contain any language that addresses good or bad speech—that would be a violation of the First Amendment,” Renner stated.
“We haven’t talked about that at all. We have focused on the addictive elements that are the main cause of kids spending endless amounts of time on these platforms.
“We’re going to beat them, and we’re never ever going to stop,” he said, explicitly referring to NetChoice.
“The bill is solid constitutionally, argues DeSantis. He declared, “I always veto bills that I do not believe are constitutional.”
“A fair application of the law and Constitution,” was how he put the bill.
