Florida lawmakers pass bill to ban social media for anyone under 16

Florida lawmakers pass bill to ban social media for anyone under 16

Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature has passed legislation that would ban anyone under age 16 from social media platforms in a move that supporters have said would protect young people from online risks to their mental health.

The measure, which goes to the desk of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis after being passed by lawmakers on Thursday, would require social media platforms to terminate the accounts of people under 16 and use a third-party verification system to screen out those who are underage.

READ: Social media monster targeting youth mental health, says US report

DeSantis, who last month expressed concern about the bill’s potential infringement on privacy rights, told reporters on Friday that he had yet to review its final version. DeSantis said he believes social media is harmful for children but that parents “could supervise” and he was wary of a policy that would “overrule” parents.

“I think you’ve got to strike that proper balance when you’re looking at these things,” DeSantis said.

The measure was passed by Florida House of Representatives in a vote of 108-7, just hours after the state Senate gave its final approval.

Supporters have said the legislation would stem the harmful effects of social media on the well-being of children who use such platforms excessively and may experience anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses as a result.

Critics have said the bill violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protections for free speech and that parents, not the government, should make decisions about the online presence of their children.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has opposed the legislation, saying it would limit parental discretion and raise data privacy concerns because of the personal information users would have to provide to be age-verified. Meta has said it supports federal legislation for online app stores to

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