(Photo provided by AP Photo/Phil Sears, File)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has just signed a bill that would bar minors under 14 from making social media accounts, making Florida the first state in the United States (U.S.) to pass such strict restrictions.
Along with barring social media accounts for those under 14, those who are 14 or 15 years old will require permission from their parents. “A child in their brain development doesn’t have the ability to know that they’re being sucked into these addictive technologies and to see the harm and step away from it, and because of that we have to step in for them,” said Republican state house speaker Paul Renner, one of the original proposers of the bill.
Moreover, social media platforms will also be required to terminate any accounts they believe belong to underage users, using a third-party verification system to do so. After termination, the personal information of said accounts must also be permanently deleted. While the bill does not specifically name any social media platforms, its stated targets are those that contain “infinite scrolling” and auto-play.
The law is an amended version of its previous February draft, which would’ve banned social media for those under 16 altogether. However, DeSantis vetoed it in early March in favor of parent’s rights. “Any time I see a bill, if I don’t think it’s constitutional, I veto it,” explained DeSantis. “We not only satisfied me, but we also satisfied, I think, a fair application of the law and constitution.”
At a press conference on Monday about the bill, DeSantis praised it, stating how it would help protect kids from the dangers of social media. “Social media harms children in a variety of ways,” stated DeSantis. “[The bill] gives parents a greater ability to protect their children.”
Along with restricting access to social media for minors, the bill will also require age verification for those who visit sexually explicit websites.
While Florida is the first state to pass restrictions on social media that are this strict, it isn’t the first to pass restrictions in general. Other states such as Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Ohio, and Utah have passed legislation aimed at tech platforms. However, these states have been facing increasing opposition from critics who say that these kinds of restrictions encroach upon teens’ freedom of expression. In a recent example, a federal judge blocked an Ohio law back in February over concern for American teens’ freedom of speech. “This law could create substantial obstacles for young people seeking access to online information, a right afforded to all Americans regardless of age,” said Khara Boender, a state policy director for the Computer & Communications Industry Association
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has also opposed the legislation, stating that it would raise data privacy concerns because users would have to input important information to verify their ages.
Renner has stated that he also expected there to be challenges by tech companies “the second after this is signed,” since NetChoice, an industry trade group comprised of social media firms such as Facebook and TikTok, has sued other states over other less restrictive laws. However, he remained optimistic that the law would overcome. “But you know what? We’re going to beat them,” exclaimed Renner. “We’re going to beat them and we’re never, ever going to stop.”
If the law is not blocked by a legal challenge, it will go into effect on January 1st, 2025.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/26/ron-desantis-florida-social-media-ban-children
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/25/tech/florida-social-media-law-age/index.html
The Snapper 