CV NEWS FEED // During a March 25 ceremony held in Jacksonville, Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed one of the most protective social media laws for minors in the country.
According to a report from the Tallahassee Democrat, the new Florida social media law that will go into effect on January 1 of 2025 “would allow 14- and 15-year-old children to have social media accounts with permission from parents or guardians.” No one in the state of Florida under 14 will be permitted to have a social media account.
In an analysis published before DeSantis signed HB 3, the Tallahassee Democrat predicted that, if the legislation is not challenged in court, it may also “force the departure of adult (pornographic) websites from Florida.”
According to the newspaper’s report, HB 3 will:
- Prohibit any child under 14 years of age from creating an account on a social media platform
- Require parental permission for social media accounts for minors 14 or 15 years of age
- Require social media platforms to terminate any accounts held by someone 14 or 15 years old unless a parent or guardian has provided consent, with a 90 appeal period
- Require social media platforms to use third-party age verification methods on new accounts
- Allow minors younger than 14 or their parent or guardian to request account termination, to be performed within 10 business days
A separate section of the bill signed by DeSantis, requires any website with “materials harmful to minors” visible in Florida to display an age verification preventing access from anyone under 18.
A similar law passed in Texas forced the departure of major porn sites from the state.
