Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed FL HB3 (24R) "Online Protection for Minors," which prohibits children under age 14 from having a social media account.
The original bill restricted the age to 16, but DeSantis vetoed that version. The lower age was a compromise, and allows 14- and 15-year olds on with parental consent.
However, the legislation includes a provision that the ability to consent will be scrapped if a court finds the social media proves harmful to the child.
"It used to be, ‘Well, if they're out somewhere, maybe they're not supervised, maybe some predator can strike,'" DeSantis said during a bill signing at a Jacksonville charter school. "Now, with things like social media and all this, you can have a kid in the house — safe, seemingly — and then you have predators that can get right in there — into your own home."
In addition to predators, the bill also targets the addictive features of social media like auto-play, live-streaming, infinite scrolling, reactions, and push notifications.
"Our bill is focused on addiction," Renner, a Palm Coast Republican, said Monday. "Unlike an adult who can make an adult decision … a child in their brain development doesn't have the ability to know they are being sucked in to these addictive technologies, and to see the harm and step away from it."
Finally, the bill targets pornography.
Like many other states, Florida will now require pornographic sites to verify that users are 18 or over.
Penalties include $50,000 in civil penalties plus court costs and attorneys' fees, and up to $10,000 per claimant in lawsuits plus court costs and attorneys‘ fees.
NetChoice, a trade group representing social media companies like Meta, TikTok, and X, said in a statement,
"We're disappointed to see Gov. DeSantis sign onto this route. There are better ways to keep Floridians, their families and their data safe and secure online without violating their freedoms."
It's sad to see X on the list there.
The group is gearing up for a freedom of speech lawsuit.
However, Florida lawmakers are ready for the fight.
"If I said to you that a company was going to take children [and] use addiction that causes them harm for profit, what does that sound like? Sounds like trafficking to me," Renner said. "We're going to beat them, and we're never ever going to stop."
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