Florida Passes New Social Media Restrictions for Minors

The legislation, expected to be signed by Governor DeSantis, aims to protect children from the harms of social media by imposing age restrictions and parental consent requirements.

Florida lawmakers have passed a bill banning children under 14 from creating social media accounts and requiring parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.
The bill also mandates age verification for accessing adult websites, with methods including facial scans or showing an ID.
Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the legislation, which has received bipartisan support and aims to address the rise in teen suicides and depression.
Social media platforms will be required to automatically delete accounts belonging to users under 14, while adult websites must adopt strict age verification requirements.
The legislation has sparked debate over First Amendment rights and is anticipated to face legal challenges from social media companies.