Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill that bans social media accounts for children under the age of 14, along with a requirement of parental permission for 14 to 15-year-olds.
Social media platforms from Meta and TikTok must be approved first by the guardians to complete the creation of the account, while older kids must submit identification documents to verify their ages.
Florida Remains Firm Against Harmful Effects of Social Media
Republican speaker Paul Renner explained during the bill signing that a child's brain is incapable of determining the addictive nature of social media platforms. In addition, they are at an age wherein they can't see the harm and step away from it.
Moreover, DeSantis stated that the bill will give parents a greater ability to protect their children from the harmful effects of social media, especially at those ages.
Previously, DeSantis vetoed the bill that would have banned minors under 16 from popular social media platforms and has no room for accepting parental consent to proceed. Before the veto, a compromise was made with Renner.
Several States Consider Social Media Ban for Minors
Other states in the country are also considering the same action against social media. For years, parents have been clamoring about the harmful effects of social media on their children.
Earlier this year, several tech giant CEOs faced the U.S. Senate for a child safety hearing. It was attended by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, Discord CEO Jason Citron, and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, who shared their testimonies.
On the other hand, the bill could face a legal challenge as it could create friction for young people who are seeking access to online information through social media.
"Instead of banning social media access, it would be better to ensure improved parental oversight tools, improved access to data to stop bad actors, alongside major investments in Florida's mental health systems and programs," Democratic representative Anna Eskamani said.
