Children Banned from Social Media in Florida

Banning social mediaPhoto byThought CatalogonUnsplash

Governor DeSantis signed into law a ban on social media accounts for children under 14, and requiring permission from parents if between 14 and 15 years old. The bill was less stringent thana bill DeSantis rejected last month, which would have banned acccounts under age 16.

Supporters in Florida hope the bill will withstand legal challenges because it would ban social media formats based on addictive features such as notification alerts and auto-play videos, rather than on their content.

DeSantis said he expects the law to face first amendment challenges, as did the Stop WOKE act he passed last year.

Khara Bonder, a spokesman for the industry, said: "This law could create substantial obstacles for young people seeking access to online information, a right afforded to all Americans regardless of age."

That would seem to be a fallacious argument, as online information is available from thousands of sources besides Tik Tok or Facebook. The premise is to leave policing of social media to parents, which, from the existing climate, is apparently rarely done.