Florida governor restricts social media for users aged 16 and below: All about the controversial bill

The bill barred children under 14 from social media platforms and requires 14- and 15-year-olds to get parental consent

In a move that could spark a debate in US, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will restrict teenagers below the age of 16 from using social media platforms. The bill said children under the age of 14 won’t be allowed on these platforms, while 14- and 15-year-olds will need parental consent.

When will the bill come into effect?

The bill was originally passed in February by the state’s Republican-led legislature. It wanted to totally ban children under the age of 16 from the social media platforms. However, DeSantis, who is a Republican, vetoed it, saying “the Bill limited parents’ rights”.

The now-passed version gives parents of older children the right to provide consent for their presence on these platforms. The Bill will become law on January 1, 2025.

What do the supporters say?

DeSantis defended the legislation. In a statement, he said, “Social media harms children in a variety of ways.” The legislation "gives parents a greater ability to protect their children", the governor said.

Supporters believe the legislation will stem the harmful effects of social media on the well-being of children who use such platforms excessively and may experience anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses as a result.

What do the critics say?

Critics said the bill violates the US Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and that parents, not the government, should make decisions about the online presence of their children of all ages.

How will it be implemented?

The law requires social media platforms to terminate the accounts of people under 14 and those under 16 who do not have parental consent. It requires them to use a third-party verification system to screen out those who are underage and let parents bring civil lawsuits against those failing to do so.

What is the reaction of social media companies?

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, opposed the legislation, saying it would limit parental discretion and raise data privacy concerns because of the personal information users would have to provide to be age-verified. Meta has said it supports federal legislation for online app stores to secure parental approval for downloads by children.

The bill does not name any specific social media platforms, but states that its targets are social media sites that promote "infinite scrolling", display reaction metrics such as likes, feature auto-play videos and have live-streaming and push notifications. It would exempt websites and apps whose main function is email, messaging or texting between a particular sender and recipient.

Other such cases in US

In March 2023, Utah became the first US state to adopt laws regulating children's access to social media, followed by others including Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas, according to a legislative analysis prepared for the Florida bill. The analysis said numerous other states were contemplating similar regulations.

(With inputs from Reuters)