The law won’t go into effect until January 1 next year. In addition to regulating young people’s access to social media, the new legislation also requires age verification for access to pornographic sites
Florida has introduced new legislative measures to regulate the use of social media among younger people. The law, known as HB 3, bans children under 14 from owning social media accounts and requires parental consent for users between 14 and 16. This decision, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, ranks among the most restrictive initiatives in the United States regarding the use of social media by minors and reflects a growing alarm about the impact of these platforms on the mental health of adolescents.
According to CNET, the law won’t go into effect until January 1 next year. As well as regulating young people’s access to social media, the new legislation also requires age verification for accessing pornographic sites, highlighting a wider concern for the protection of minors online. HB 3 has also attracted numerous criticisms. Some view this as an invasion of privacy for all Floridians, both youth and adults. NetChoice, a lobby group supported by several technology companies, has expressed concerns about the need to verify the identity of online users in order to enforce the law, highlighting how this could put the privacy and security of personal data at risk and violate constitutional rights of citizens.