What is the new Florida law that prohibits the use of social networks by children under 16?
The Florida Congress approved a bill to prohibit the use of social networks by minors under 16 years of age. What would this new legislation consist of?
Florida could be about to have one of the most restrictive bans on the use of social networks in the United States. Last Thursday, February 22, the state Congress approved a new bill to prohibit the use of social networks by minors under 16 years of age, even, if parents do not agree with the measure.
The proposal, which runs under the name HB1 or Online Protections for Minors, was approved by the House of Representatives with 108 votes in favor and 7 against, while, in the Senate, the legislation passed with 23 votes in favor and 14 against. After the approval of both chambers, the bill now heads to the desk of the state Governor, Ron DeSantis, who will decide whether the proposal becomes law or not.
While the regulation has raised concerns for DeSantis, proponents of the bill argue that the legislation is necessary to curb the rising rate of suicide and cyberbullying among minors. But what specifically does this project consist of? Below, we explain.
What is the new Florida law that prohibits the use of social networks by children under 16?
If given the green light by DeSantis, the new legislation would force social media platforms to verify the age of account holders, prohibiting the creation of profiles for minors 16 and younger. In addition, it would eliminate existing users who do not meet the minimum age. Currently, most platforms require a minimum age of 13 years.
The new law would affect most social networks, especially those that have a large daily usage among minors under 16 years of age and that allow “infinite scrolling” with continuous loading and automatic video playback, like TikTok or Instagram.
You may also be interested in: New anti-immigrant law in Texas takes effect in February: This is how it will affect migrants
DeSantis' response
DeSantis has not made a decision on the matter, however, the views he has expressed seem to indicate that he does not agree with the proposal. Through a press conference held on Thursday, the Governor of Florida assured that it is the duty of parents to control their children’s online activity.
“As much as I think its harmful to have people on these social media platforms for five or six hours a day, a parent can supervise a kid to use it more sparingly,” DeSantis said. “And I’m a critic of social media, but I have to look at this from a parent’s perspective.”
However, the governor did share his thoughts on other legislation that lawmakers could pass if they felt compelled to parent other Floridians’ kids. “Let’s have a bill that encourages engaging with your children, cooking dinner, sitting at a table together, making eye contact, calling grandma to see if she’s OK once in a while,” he suggested sarcastically.