Florida has implemented restrictions that would ban children from having social media accounts.
On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will prohibit any child under age 14 from signing up for a social media account. Children over the age of 14 and 15 can have their own profiles but must have the consent of their parents before signing up for sites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and any other apps. The bill, known as HB 3, will also restrict adolescents from viewing pornographic websites such as PornHub, which has slammed such bills.
Measures such as these have been long in the making, though questions remained regarding how they would be implemented to keep children protected from adult content. We now know that Florida will require age verification for anyone wanting to view sex and social site websites.
Florida is now the latest state to introduce a strict ban on social media and porn. Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Ohio, and Utah have also prioritized similar bills. However, in February, a judge temporarily blocked Ohio’s law, with concerns that it could violate teens’ First Amendment rights, CNN reports. Last year, Arkansas’ bill was halted over similar concerns. Given the pushback from companies that produce explicit content, Florida is likely to face challenges in court.
Under HB3, social media platforms must delete the existing accounts of any user under the age of 14 in Florida. Those that fail to comply could face a $10,000 fine that must be paid to the minor. Additionally, companies could face another $50,000 fine for each violation. HB 3 will go into effect on January 1st, 2025.
