Florida could have one of many nation’s most restrictive social media bans for minors — if it withstands anticipated authorized challenges — underneath a invoice signed by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday.
The invoice will ban social media accounts for youngsters underneath 14 and require parental permission for 15- and 16-year-olds. It was barely watered down from a proposal DeSantis vetoed earlier this month, per week earlier than the annual legislative session ended.
The brand new legislation was Republican Speaker Paul Renner’s high legislative precedence. It takes impact Jan. 1.
“A child in their brain development doesn’t have the ability to know that they’re being sucked into these addictive technologies and to see the harm and step away from it, and because of that we have to step in for them,” Renner mentioned on the bill-signing ceremony held at a Jacksonville faculty.
The invoice DeSantis vetoed would have banned minors under 16 from widespread social media platforms no matter parental consent. However earlier than the veto, he labored out compromise language with Renner to alleviate the governor’s issues and the Legislature despatched DeSantis a second invoice.
A number of states have thought-about comparable laws. In Arkansas, a federal judge blocked enforcement of a legislation in August that required parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.
Supporters in Florida hope the invoice will face up to authorized challenges as a result of it will ban social media codecs based mostly on addictive options comparable to notification alerts and auto-play movies, slightly than on their content material.
Renner mentioned he expects social media firms to “sue the second after this is signed. But you know what? We’re going to beat them. We’re going to beat them and we’re never, ever going to stop.”
DeSantis additionally acknowledged the legislation might be challenged on First Modification points, and bemoaned the very fact the “Stop Woke Act” he signed into legislation two years in the past was recently struck down by an appeals court with a majority of Republican-appointed judges. They dominated it violated free speech rights by banning non-public enterprise from together with discussions about racial inequality in worker coaching.
“Any time I see a bill, if I don’t think it’s constitutional, I veto it,” mentioned DeSantis, a lawyer, expressing confidence that the social media ban might be upheld. “We not only satisfied me, but we also satisfied, I think, a fair application of the law and Constitution.”
The invoice overwhelmingly handed each chambers, with some Democrats becoming a member of a majority of Republicans who supported the measure. Opponents argued it’s unconstitutional and authorities shouldn’t intrude with choices mother and father make with their kids.
“This bill goes too far in taking away parents’ rights,” Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani mentioned in a information launch. “Instead of banning social media access, it would be better to ensure improved parental oversight tools, improved access to data to stop bad actors, alongside major investments in Florida’s mental health systems and programs.”
