Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) took decisive action on Monday by signing a bill that prohibits children under the age of 14 from having social media accounts in the state of Florida.
The legislation mandates that adolescents aged 14 and 15 seek parental consent in order to create social media accounts on platforms that utilize algorithms and possess “specific addictive features.”
Florida House Speaker Paul Renner (R) expressed concern about the internet’s impact on children, stating that it has become a perilous space where predators target them and where dangerous social media platforms contribute to higher rates of depression, self-harm, and even suicide.
“He added that thanks to Governor DeSantis’ signature, Florida is at the forefront of safeguarding children online, while other states are grappling with similar challenges.”
Florida’s House Bill 3 was signed into law by Governor DeSantis, marking a significant development. This decision comes shortly after the governor vetoed a different bill that aimed to prohibit children under the age of 16 from having their own accounts.
During a press conference on Monday, DeSantis expressed his confidence that the newly implemented legislation in the state would be more resilient in a legal setting.
According to the speaker, the approach taken in this matter was aimed at not only determining what is constitutionally acceptable based on their own judgement, but also considering the feasibility of the proposed measures given the varied opinions of judges on certain issues.
Tech industry group NetChoice has argued that the law in question will essentially impose “I.D. for the Internet” requirements on residents of Florida.
According to a statement made by Carl Szabo, the vice president and general counsel of NetChoice, HB 3 compels individuals in Florida to provide their sensitive personal information to websites or face the consequence of losing access to important information channels. Szabo argues that this requirement infringes upon the First Amendment rights of Floridians to freely share and access speech online.
“We are disappointed by Gov. DeSantis’ decision to support this approach,” Szabo expressed. “There are alternative methods to ensure the safety and security of Floridians, their families, and their online data without infringing upon their freedoms.”
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