USA: Florida Bans Social Media for Children Below 14 Years
USA’s Florida state has banned social media for children below the age of 14 years by passing ‘House Bill 3’ on 25th March 2024. The bill will be implemented as law from 1st January 2025 onwards.
In a groundbreaking move, the state of Florida in the United States has passed a law banning social media for children under the age of 14. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill, known as 'House Bill 3', into law on 25th March 2024, marking a significant shift in social media regulation.
The new law, which will take effect from 1st January 2025, prohibits minors under 14 years old from creating or using social media accounts on platforms that promote features like infinite scrolling, likes, auto-play videos, live-streaming, and push notifications.
However, email, messaging, or texting-centric platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram are exempt from the ban.
Under the bill, social media companies are required to terminate the accounts of children under 14 and permanently delete any personal information collected from these accounts. Parents are also empowered to file civil lawsuits if social media companies fail to comply with these requirements.
For 14- and 15-year-olds, parental permission is mandatory to create social media accounts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Failure to obtain parental consent will result in account termination.
While children above the age of 15 currently face no restrictions, all social media users in Florida will be required to submit age-verification documents through a third-party verification system.
Governor DeSantis stated that the decision was aimed at protecting children from the harmful effects of social media and empowering parents to safeguard their children's well-being.
However, the legislation has faced criticism from lobbying groups like Netchoice, representing social media parent companies, who argue that the bill is unconstitutional. They claim that the law forces citizens to share sensitive personal information with social media companies or risk losing access to critical information channels.
Several other states in the US have also taken steps to address concerns about the negative impact of social media on youth mental health and exposure to explicit content. While states like Utah, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Ohio have not banned social media for children, they have passed laws requiring parental consent for minors' social media accounts, which have faced legal challenges.
