Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill banning children under the age of 14 using social media
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday that prohibits children under 14-years-old from having social media accounts and he claims it would give parents more ability to ‘protect’ their kids.
The law would allow teens who are 14 and 15-years-old to hold their own social media accounts as long as they have parental approval. Once 16-years-old, Floridians could have and use social media freely under the new law.
Nationwide, this law could be one of the most strict bans on social media use for minors.
It’s not immediately clear how this law would be enforced – especially if parents were OK with their children having accounts on social media outside the age parameters of the bill.
Previously, DeSantis vetoed a version of the bill that would ban anyone under 16 from social media platforms regardless of parental consent. He then worked out a compromise with Florida House Speaker Paul Renner to amend the age limits.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on Monday a bill that would prevent children 13-years and younger from holding social media accounts and require 14 and 15-year-olds to obtain parental consent to have such accounts
‘Social media harms children in a variety of ways,’ DeSantis said upon signing the bill. ‘HB 3 gives parents a greater ability to protect their children.’
The crackdown comes as Congress is also pushing through a bill that would essentially ban TikTok from U.S. app stores if it is not sold off from its Chinese parent company.
Lawmakers want TikTok divested from the Asian country as a way to ensure U.S. data is not compromised by the Chinese Communist Party through the widely popular video sharing social media platform.
The House voted through this month the proposal that would scrub TikTok from U.S. app stores and the Senate is now considering the same bill.
Other states have considered laws similar to the one DeSantis signed on Monday.
A federal judge in Arkansas blocked in August the enforcement of a law that would require parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.
For years Gov. DeSantis has promoted his policies in Florida, claiming that his state leads the nation in empowering parents and protecting children.
This includes his keystone Parental Rights in Education Bill that gives guardians more transparency and say in their childrens’ public education and specifically in regards to teachings regarding sexual health and gender identity.
Many claim that his policies are more harmful to at-risk youth and those who identify as LGBTQ and have accused the governor of trying to ban books that cover certain sensitive materials.
DeSantis signed the bill after reaching a compromise with Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, who wanted social media sites banned for all kids and teenagers under 16-years-old
There are concerns that this new law, while wearing the face of child protection, could actually strip parents of the right to decide whether or not their children can have social media accounts under the age of 14.
The latest law would go into effect in January 1, 2025 and is meant as a way to protect children from harmful people and materials online.
‘The internet has become a dark alley for our children where predators target them and dangerous social media leads to higher rates of depression, self-harm, and even suicide,’ said Speaker Renner.
‘Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ signature, Florida leads the way in protecting children online as states across the country fight to address these dangers.’
Beyond banning those under 14 from having their own social media account and under 16 from doing so without parental consent, HB 3 also requires pornographic websites to use age verification to prevent minors from accessing such content.
