Florida Governor Signs Social Media Restrictions Law, Children Under 14 Years Old Banned

Illustration. (Unsplash/Rami Al-zayat)

JAKARTA - Florida State Governor, United States Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a law banning children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms, while children aged 14 and 15 should get parental consent, an action that supporters say would protect them from online risks to their mental health.

The move requires social media platforms to stop people under 14 and people under 16 who do not have parental permission. This requires them to use a third-party verification system to screen minors.

Earlier, the Republican-led state legislature passed a bill that would prohibit children under 16 from using social media completely.

DeSantis, who is also Republican, vetoed the bill earlier this month, saying the bill limits the rights of the elderly.

The revised draft allows parents to give permission to larger children to engage in social media platforms. This will be law on January 1, 2025.

"Social media harm children in various ways," DeSantis said in a statement.

He said the law "gives parents greater abilities to protect their children."

Meanwhile, supporters say the law will stem the bad effects of social media on the welfare of children who use the platform excessively and may experience anxiety, depression, and other mental illness as a result.

Meanwhile, critics say it violates the protection of the First Amendment to the US Constitution on freedom of opinion and that parents, not governments, must make decisions regarding the online presence of their children of all ages.

The bill does not mention certain social media platforms, but states the target is social media sites that promote "infinite scrolling", display reaction metrics such as likes, display autoplay videos, and have live streaming and push notifications. This will exclude websites and apps whose main functions are email, message or SMS between certain senders and recipients.

The move required social media companies to permanently delete personal information collected from accounts that were terminated and let parents file civil charges against those who failed to do so.

In March 2023, Utah became the first US state to adopt a law regulating children's access to social media, followed by other states including Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas, according to a legislative analysis prepared for the Florida Bill. The analysis says many other states are considering similar regulations.