Mar 26, 2024 11:22:00

Governor signs bill banning social media use for people under 14 and requiring parental consent for 14- to 15-year-olds to use social media

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that bans children under the age of 14 from participating on social media. Once the law goes into effect, social media companies will have to remove accounts of anyone under the age of 14.

CS/CS/HB 3 | FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(PDF file)

https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2024/3/BillText/er/PDF

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill that bans children under 14 from having social media accounts
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/florida-ron-desantis-signs-bill-social-media-kids-ban-rcna144950

Florida's DeSantis signs social media law requiring age verification - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/25/24087979/florida-desantis-social-media-age-verification-parental-consent-law

Governor DeSantis, who is running for the Republican primary in the 2024 presidential election and has enacted laws such as '

laws banning LGBT education in schools for those under the age of 10 ' and ' laws restricting the use of social media accounts by political candidates ,' has signed a new bill, 'HB3,' which bans the use of social media by people under the age of 14. HB3 is scheduled to be issued in January 2025, and by law, companies operating social media will be required to take measures such as deleting the accounts of people under the age of 14 who live in Florida.

Companies that fail to remove accounts could be sued on behalf of children who created accounts on their platforms, with damages of up to $10,000, according to the bill.

The bill requires many apps and websites to verify the age of users. Although age verification raises privacy concerns, the bill requires that apps and websites provide an 'anonymous age verification' option that uses a third-party authentication service that does not store personal information, so that social media sites themselves can verify users' ages without verifying their personal information.

Additionally, 14 and 15 year olds will need parental consent before creating a social media account.

HB3 was introduced in response to concerns that social media platforms' safety measures are not fully protecting children, and proponents of the new law have welcomed the bill, arguing that the use of social media is harmful to children's mental health and could provide an opening for sexual predators to come into contact with minors.

On the other hand, NetChoice, a tech industry group that includes Meta, is opposed to the bill and has previously argued that 'if social networking sites collect users' personal information, it will put residents' privacy at risk,' and has

urged Governor DeSantis to veto the bill. Governor DeSantis had previously vetoed a stricter bill that would have banned the use of social networking sites by people under the age of 16, but he said he did so because 'a better bill will be submitted soon.' That bill was the version that Governor DeSantis signed this time, banning social networking sites for people under the age of 14 and requiring parental consent for people between the ages of 14 and 15.

Similar laws to HB3 have already been enacted in states such as Ohio and Arkansas, but both are currently being challenged by NetChoice, and HB3 could also face legal challenges due to claims that it violates the First Amendment, which allows for freedom of speech and expression.

NetChoice general counsel Carl Szabo called HB3 unconstitutional, saying in a statement, 'We are disappointed to see Governor DeSantis sign it. There must be a better way to keep Floridians, their families and their data safe without infringing on their freedoms.'

Continued
Florida law banning teenagers from using social media temporarily blocked as 'possibly unconstitutional' - GIGAZINE