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Florida Becomes First State To Ban Children From Social Media
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/usa/us-business-news/florida-becomes-first-state-to-ban-children-from-social-media
By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted March 26, 2024
Florida has become the first state to prohibit social media use by young people by restricting under 14s from creating TikTok and Instagram accounts.
Governor Ron DeSantis has signed the bill after a nationwide effort to shield young people from the perceived mental health and safety hazards of social media engagement.
The law forbids social media networks from creating accounts for children below 14.
It also mandates the deletion of accounts believed to be owned by underage users.
Parental consent is also required for users aged 14 and 15 to sign up.
Gov DeSantis championed the law at a press conference, saying it will help parents navigate “difficult terrain” online.
He added that “being buried” in devices all day long was not the best way to grow up.
He continued: “Social media harms children in a variety of ways.”
DeSantis added the new bill “gives parents a greater ability to protect their children.”
The governor vetoed a similar bill last year proposing barring accounts for 14 and 15-year-olds even with parental consent.
The law could face legal challenges over the rights of children to access information and companies’ rights to disseminate information.
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Its enactment follows a pattern of legal pushback against less stringent online safety measures in various states.
Bill “gives parents a greater ability to protect their children”
With ongoing debates over age verification and privacy settings for minors across the US, Florida's aggressive stance reiterates digital governance's complex legal and ethical terrain.
The measure not only targets social media but also extends to online pornography, demanding robust age-verification systems to deter minor access.
This move comes despite existing policies by major platforms against underage users, underlined by the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
The act already imposes stringent consent requirements for collecting data from those under 13.
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