Miami: Florida lawmakers on Thursday moved to enact one of the strictest bans on children’s use of social media in the United States, sending the governor a bill banning those under 16 from accessing the platforms.
The controversial legislation seeks to protect children’s mental health from the “addictive features” of such platforms, amid concerns about online dangers including sexual predators, cyberbullying and teen suicides.
The legislation cleared the state Senate 23-14 and returned to the House, where it passed overwhelmingly, 108-7.
It now heads to the governor’s office, where it must be signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has expressed skepticism about the legislation. Similar efforts by other states have previously been blocked by the courts.
“We’re talking about businesses that use addictive features to engage in mass manipulation of our children to harm them,” the bill’s sponsor, Republican Erin Grall, told the Florida Senate Thursday.
But DeSantis, who has previously said he sympathizes with concerns about the impact of social media on children, has raised concerns about parental rights.
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“The parent has the right to come forward,” he said at a press conference Thursday.
The governor, who ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign and resigned in January, has repeatedly argued that parents should have more control over decisions affecting their children, especially in education.
Under DeSantis, Florida passed laws restricting the teaching of sexuality education and gender identity in schools and eradicating diversity programs at state-funded universities.
In recent months, dozens of books deemed inappropriate for children by conservative parents and school boards have been removed from state school library shelves.
Some critics say such a law targeting social media use would violate the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech.
Last year, a federal judge blocked an Arkansas initiative that sought to require parental consent to open a social media account.
Most social networks already have a minimum age of 13 to open an account, although they do little to ensure compliance with this provision.
If the regulation is approved, the platforms will have to block Florida children under 16 from creating accounts and close those already open.
