The Florida Senate approved with a majority the bill HB-1, which prohibits minors under 16 years of age from using social networks, an important milestone considering that the majority of users and content creators are teenagers.
With this, the measure, which previously received the support of the local House of Representatives, only needs the signature of Governor Ron DeSantis for its entry into force.
The initiative promoted by members of the Republican Party received 23 votes in favor and 14 against, in a session in which there was a debate prior to the vote marked by concern about the role of parents in supervising their children while they surf. online.
While some of the senators advocated leaving responsibility for managing minors’ networks in the hands of parents, others argued that the damage caused by cyberbullying and the addictive nature of the platforms justifies state intervention.
Republican Senator Erin Grall, one of the bill’s supporters, highlighted the need to protect children from the harmful effects of virtual platforms.
In his speech, Grall also pointed out that those responsible for the operation of the networks prioritize their profits, without worrying about addressing the aforementioned problems.
The bill establishes the aforementioned prohibition, for which platforms will be required to implement age verifications through independent organizations when creating new accounts, denying access to those who do not meet the requirement.
The regulations also establish that parents will have the right to request the deletion of their children’s social media accounts, even if these were created before this measure came into effect.
Already in January, DeSantis expressed concern that while he understands concerns about the negative impact of social media on youth, there are legal issues that could arise when implementing this measure.
“As a parent, I understand what is happening with our youth, but I also understand that saying that someone who is 15 simply can’t have it, no matter what, even if the parents give consent, can create some legal problems,” he said. the official in a press conference at the beginning of the year.
With the passage of this bill, Florida joins other states that are taking steps to regulate social media use among children and teens. A vote is also expected in the state Senate to require websites to contain the phrase “materials harmful to minors” as a warning.
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