In a priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, House and Senate Republicans have filed bills designed to prevent minors under age 16 from having social-media accounts.
The House version of the bill (HB 1), filed by Rep. Tyler Sirois, R-Merritt Island, and Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota, was released Friday night, while the Senate version (SB 1788) was filed Monday by Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach. They came as the 2024 legislative session prepares to start Tuesday.
During an appearance last month in Tallahassee, Renner said social media is having a “devastating effect on kids” and that lawmakers should be able to impose online regulations “in a meaningful way.”
“I want to hear from everybody on what that looks like,” Renner said at the time. “You know, the idea that we can be libertarians where our kids are concerned? We’re not libertarians with our kids on anything. Adults are a different story. They wanted to do all that stuff. That’s their business. And it’s a free country. But for our kids, we’ve got to protect them.”
The bills would require social-media platforms to bar minors under 16 from creating social-media accounts and use “reasonable age verification” methods to check the ages of people when accounts are created. It would require platforms to use independent organizations to conduct age verifications and would require denial of accounts for people who do not verify their ages.
The bills also would require social-media platforms to terminate existing accounts that are “reasonably known” by the platforms to be held by minors younger than 16 and would allow parents to request that minors’ accounts be terminated.
The attorney general would be able to file civil lawsuits alleging unfair and deceptive trade practices for violations of the law, with social-media platforms potentially facing fines.
The House version of the bill received a number, HB 1, that has been traditionally reserved for priorities of House leaders. Sirois is chairman of the House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee, while McFarland last year shepherded through an online data-privacy bill that was closely watched by tech companies and other businesses.
But attempts across the country to crack down on social-media use by minors have proven complicated — and, at least in some cases, contentious. Among the issues is how to verify ages.
Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, on Monday questioned how the bill could be enforced.
“It seems performative to me,” Driskell said. “I do think social media can have bad effects on our society and kids specifically, but I don’t know that this bill is going to solve the problem at all.”
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody in October filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, uses “manipulative” features to keep minors hooked on the social-media platforms. Moody’s lawsuit came the same day that other states joined together to file a similar lawsuit in California against the company.
Moody’s lawsuit contended that Meta has violated a law known as the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which prohibits “unfair methods of competition, unconscionable acts or practices, and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.” The lawsuit also alleged the company violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
Meta in December filed a motion to dismiss the case, which has been moved to California. The motion is pending. In a statement provided to the News Service in October, Meta pushed back against the allegations in both lawsuits.
“We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path,” the statement said.
The company, for example, cited its terms of service, which it said prohibits minors under 13 from using Instagram. It also described how it restricts ads for teens and contended that research on negative impacts of social media on teens’ mental health is “not conclusive” and pointed to positive impacts that social media can have on young peoples’ lives.
Meanwhile, Rep. Chase Tramont, R-Port Orange, and Grall have filed additional bills (HB 3 and SB 1792) that would require age verification to try to prevent people under age 18 from having access to “material harmful to minors” on websites and apps. Tramont filed his bill Friday, while Grall filed the Senate version Monday.
Those bills would set a series of standards for determining whether the material would be harmful, such as whether it “appeals to the prurient interest” and “lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.”
–Jim Saunders, with Jim Turner, News Service of Florida
This Is Getting Old says
This absolutely helps with the insurance crisis and inflation running amok in this state when it’s down nationally. /s
I see the FL legislature hasn’t learned a thing about being an overbearing big brother government full of hypocrites. Newsflash—I don’t want government, especially bigoted fascist Republicans involved in decisions about my personal life or my kid’s personal lives. Solve real issues that affect all of us and not your make believe boogeymen.
Kat says
Came here to write basically the same thing so I’m agreeing 100% with your post instead.
Steve says
💯👍😁 Ditto
Pogo says
@It’s not April 1st
What’s up?
Deborah Coffey says
NAZIS! Might as well start a Hitler Youth Group and tell them how their haircuts should look.
Frank says
Already have it’s called a public school….I apologize I meant government school
Deborah Coffey says
Baloney. What we’ve got in Florida under Mini-Trump-DeSantis is almost complete government control…over women, LGBTQs, immigrants, Blacks, colleges, public schools (for indoctrination purposes), and now, the personal lives of children. It’s Nazism pure and simple.
Loomis says
LOL! Yeah, sure!
TR says
IMO, social media has taken away from what kids should be doing. They should be out doing what we use to do as kids, Play. But instead they are focused on tik tok challenges and watching videos that give them ideas that are not of any good. They also focus on how many followers they have. Social media also has brain washed a lot of kids to think it’s ok to get away with things that they shouldn’t be doing.
Svenghoulie says
So true. Good for Florida. Hope the rest of the nation takes note.
Regis says
Good idea, anything that might possibly help kids from this crap im onboard
Salty says
While I do think children should not be on social media, this is the same party that was screaming “parents rights” when they didn’t want their kids to wear masks or get vaxxed. Like always they are talk out of both sides of their mouths.
As a parent I do NOT allow my child to have social media, but that’s my right as a parent. My friend’s daughter is a minor and also a sponsored athlete that uses social media to obtain sponsorship so she needs those platforms. Removing her from social media would remove her ability to travel the world as an athlete representing our country.
When Facebook first launched you had to be enrolled in a college/university. They quickly discovered boomers wanted to be on there too so they opened it to everyone. Maybe we should sponsor a bill removing anyone not enrolled in college from Facebook, or remove Gen X from Tik Tok. (Sarcasm)
Check out the 60 Minutes story about Tik Tok, the tik Tok our children see everyday is not the Tik Tok China created, children in China have limited access to Tik Tok content, and set time limits on the app.
My point is it’s 1. A slippery slope and 2. Taking away individual rights. I scratch my head everyday wondering how the people that call themselves republicans continue to infringe on individual rights.
The dude says
They should include anybody over the age of 60 in the social media bans.
This group is most responsible for the rampant dissemination of disinformation on social media.
Endless dark money says
I agree ! Ban the free Healthcare they get too unless everyone can get it.
John Lee says
If anyone honestly thinks an 8yo should be plastered on social media, or even a 13yo, you got problems. Granted the gov should not be involved, but the unfortunate truth is parents are not. As a parent, my kids don’t have social media accounts. I told them, when they are 16, they can, & I will be monitoring them. I don’t need dirty old men looking at them,or groomers tying to get them. Parents need to get involved & engage their kids.
A good question though, exactly how do you internet age verify a 16yo?
Skibum says
Thank the wonderful, enlightened, family oriented GOP members in Tallahassee for being so pro-kids that they feel the overriding need to safeguard teenagers from the extremely dangerous social media accounts those children are using… while at the same time putting forth yet another bill to loosen gun restrictions and allow FL teenagers the ability to get their hands on more guns. Don’t you just love the GOP, those flag waving, moms and apple pie lovin, pro-life pseudo-Christian legislators who really, really have their fingers on the pulse of the biggest imminent danger to the lives of this state’s children.
Michael Cocchiola says
Hmmm… the “Free State of Florida” is it?
So disappointed in Paul Renner,
Frankinflagler says
While this is obviously just an attempt at gaining publicity for an otherwise unknown up-and-comer with larger political ambitions, it is still striking how the far right and the far left are not only so similar but equally completely unaware of their march towards fascism. In this case, the Florida GOP continues to attack freedom and aims to see what they can get away with. Said simply: It’s absurd and will cost them elections. In fact, it highlights how incompetent they are because if they allowed a pollster to hear the idea first, they would have quickly learned – it’s not the left who will be angry on this one.
Randy Bentwick says
Just the latest crap from the far right maga morons. The land of the free is disappearing.
TR says
It disappeared back in Jan. 2021 with the puppet Joe leading the left wing idiots.
Endangered species says
Look the pot calling the kettle black haha
Ann Marie says
This, unfortunately, is going to have to be up to the parents. What is sad is that it very likely is contributing to low grades, low self esteem, bullying, and even criminal behavior. There is a price to be paid for everything. Kids these days are no longer allowed to be just kids, to develop an imagination, to live in a safe environment as most of us did.
Instead, we have subjected them to predators. The name calling here is inaccurate. Every bit of this is the fault of the parents. Stop the finger pointing and accept the responsibility.