The governor of Florida Ron Landy signed the bill hb 3 prohibiting children up to 13 years old from creating accounts on social networks. The law also mandates parental consent for 14-15-year-old adolescents who wish to create accounts. The aim is to safeguard children from the negative impact of social media on their mental well-being.
Under the new legislation, social networks are required to block users under 13 years old and remove all their personal information. Violators face fines and possible detention under the law governing unfair trade practices. Parents are empowered to take legal action if their child’s data is not promptly deleted.
The proponents of the bill argue that frequent use of social media is linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among teenagers, as well as the proliferation of online pornography. Florida House of Representatives Speaker Paul Renner described the internet as a “dark alley where predators lurk, waiting for our children.”
The law encompasses social platforms that engage users in various ways, including apps featuring endless news feeds, auto-play videos, display of individual activity metrics, and push notifications. Exceptions are made for services designed solely for private messaging.
Critics, such as the Netchoice association which represents Meta*,
X is a platform where users share public messages and interact with each other. It boasts a vast global audience and ranks among the top 10 most visited sites online.
X has been banned in Russia for repeated violations of local laws.