Florida lawmakers passed a bill Thursday that, if signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would be one of the most restrictive laws on social media usage for kids, banning the use of apps for those under 16 even if they have parental consent.
A Florida bill would make it illegal for social media apps that utilize “addictive features” to ... [+]
The bill would prevent minors under 16 from making accounts on social media sites that track user activity, have “addictive features” or let users upload content and interact with other people, and require the sites to use a third-party age verification system.
Social media companies would be forced to delete accounts held by minors in Florida and delete any information tied to the accounts if the law is signed by DeSantis, who has expressed concern about the bill.
DeSantis has hesitated to support the bill in part because it doesn’t allow parental choice, prohibiting children from using the apps even if their parents give permission and lawmakers refused to add language to the bill to appease his concerns, according to Politico.
Republican House Speaker Paul Renner said after the bill was passed Thursday that he’s “very excited about what this means for the future of our children here in Florida,” adding this bill is “the strongest in the nation” and “will pass constitutional muster.”
Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois, another supporter of the bill, pushed back on the idea that the bill didn’t give parents power, saying: “If you understand the features are addictive, if you accept that, then you understand there can be no parental consent.”
The bill overwhelmingly passed the Florida House 108-7 and the Senate approved 23-14.
“I think it’s harmful for (kids) to be on some of those platforms that have certain functionality that is addictive, I agree with that,” DeSantis said Thursday. “But I also believe that parents need to have a role in this.”
$50,000. That’s how much, per violation, a social media platform could be fined, according to the text of the bill. If a platform doesn’t delete an account that a parent requests be deleted, it could be fined up to $10,000 in damages.
How DeSantis responds to the bill. He wouldn’t say Friday whether he would sign the bill, the Orlando Sentinel reported, and said his office would be looking at it over the weekend.
Other states have tried to pass bills addressing children’s use of social media, though none as strict as Florida’s. In August, a federal judge blocked an Arkansas law that would have made parental consent a requirement for minors to create new social media accounts from going into effect, in a ruling that questioned the law’s constitutionality and effectiveness, the Associated Press reported. A similar law requiring parental consent for children under 16 to join social media apps in Ohio that was supposed to go into effect last month was also put on hold due to legal challenges, and California and Utah have also made efforts to limit children’s social media usage.
DeSantis’ disagreement with lawmakers over this bill has led to questions of how much influence he holds since dropping out of the presidential race. The legislature passed the bill Thursday just after DeSantis said he thought it still needed work, the Orlando Sentinel reported, noting that this could present DeSantis’ first real challenge from a Republican-run legislature that has largely supported him throughout his term and during his run for president, which ended after the Iowa caucuses.