Here's why Florida banned social media for kids under the age of 14
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that social media harms children in many ways and plays a huge role in disseminating sexually explicit content.
FollowFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation preventing juveniles under 14 from creating social media accounts, after similar efforts in other jurisdictions that have been challenged in court. Florida legislation also needs parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to open accounts with businesses like Meta Platforms Inc. and TikTok Inc. While older children are not restricted, the regulation requires all social media users in the state to provide identification documents to prove their ages.
DeSantis said that social media harms children in a variety of ways and that House Bill 3, gives parents a greater ability to protect their children. The Florida measure is part of a broader attempt by some governments to crack down on social media businesses amid increased concern over their influence on youth mental health and their role in disseminating sexually explicit content.
Arkansas and Ohio, for example, have passed legislation requiring adolescents to obtain parental consent before creating social media accounts. However, these safeguards, as well as California legislation governing children's digital privacy, have faced court challenges.
Netchoice, a lobbying organization that includes Meta, TikTok, and Alphabet Inc.'s Google, had encouraged DeSantis to veto the law, claiming it was illegal and would be ineffectual at safeguarding Floridians.
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In addition to the parental consent requirements for 14 and 15-year-olds, the Florida law extends an age-verified social media ban to 13-year-olds. A 1998 law already limits how children under 13 use the internet, which is why many social media platforms legally prohibit younger people from creating accounts. Congress has explored raising the age of those restrictions to users under the age of 17, but the proposal has not moved forward.
