Florida has imposed a new social media law which is a much needed thing for the teenagers. Know the details below. In the state of Florida in the United States, a new law has been signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. It prohibits children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms.Additionally, 14- and 15-year-olds will now need parental consent in order to access social media.
Florida social media law
This measure aims to safeguard children’s mental health by shielding them from online risks. Social media platforms will be required to deactivate accounts of individuals under 14. Those under 16 without parental consent.Furthermore, starting from January 1, 2025, these platforms must implement a third-party verification system to identify underage users.
Need of the Florida new social media law
Governor DeSantis emphasized that social media has detrimental effects on children. This legislation empowers parents to better protect their children. Although the bill does not specify any particular platforms. It specifically targets social media platforms that possess features like “infinite scrolling,” reaction metrics such as likes, autoplay videos, live-streaming, and push notifications. However, platforms primarily focused on email, messaging, or texting between specific senders and recipients are exempt from these regulations.
History of Florida social media law
The state’s Republican-led legislature passed a bill in February. It aims to prohibit children under 16 from using social media. Governor DeSantis vetoed it this month. He cited concerns about parental rights being restricted. The newly proposed amendment now allows parents to grant permission for older children to access social media platforms. Advocates of the bill argue that it will help mitigate the negative impacts of social media.However, critics argue that it infringes upon the First Amendment rights of free speech in the US Constitution. They emphasize that decisions regarding children’s social media usage should be made by parents, not the government.Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, also opposed the bill. Meta expressed worries about limiting parental control and raising data privacy issues due to the personal information required for age verification.
