Children under the age of 14 will no longer be permitted to use social media platforms in Florida. On Monday (March 25), the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a bill requiring 14- and 15-year-olds to obtain parental consent before using social media.
Florida to require parental consent for kids to join social media
According to reports, the measure, which is intended to protect children from online risks to their mental health, will require social media platforms to suspend accounts of those under 14 and under 16 who do not have parental consent.
The bill, which will take effect on January 1, 2025, also requires platforms to use a third-party verification system to screen out underage users.
In a statement, DeSantis stated that “Social media harms children in a variety of ways,” and that his legislation “gives parents a greater ability to protect their children.”
While no platforms are named, the bill specifically targets social media platforms with features such as “infinite scrolling,” reaction metrics such as likes, autoplay videos, live-streaming, and push notifications. It exempts platforms that primarily facilitate email, messaging, or texting between specific senders and recipients.
Previously, in February, the state’s Republican-led legislature passed a bill prohibiting children under 16 from using social media entirely. However, DeSantis vetoed it earlier this month, citing concerns that the bill would limit parents’ rights.
The recently introduced amendment allows parents to give consent for their older children to use social media platforms.
Supporters of the bill argue that it will reduce the negative effects of social media. Critics argue that it violates the US Constitution’s First Amendment protections for free speech. They also argue that parents, not the government, should decide whether children of all ages should use social media.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, also opposed the legislation, claiming it would limit parental discretion and raise data privacy concerns due to the personal information required to verify users’ ages.
