Florida bans children under 14 from using social media

Social media harms children in many different ways - Illustration: GETTY IMAGES

The new law, known as HB 3, also requires children between the ages of 14 and 16 to have parental consent to have a social media account.

HB 3 also requires age verification for anyone who wants to access pornographic websites. The law goes into effect January 1, 2025.

“Social media harms children in many different ways. HB 3 gives parents the ability to better protect their children,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement on March 25.

NBC News reported that the new law is expected to face legal challenges related to the First Amendment, which prohibits laws that disrespect people's freedoms in certain matters.

Tech group NetChoice, which is affiliated with Meta, Google, X and TikTok, has called on Governor DeSantis to veto the bill.

“There are better ways to keep Floridians, their families and their data safe and secure online without infringing on their freedoms,” said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel of NetChoice.

Prevent children from social media addiction

Florida is the latest state to debate or pass laws restricting young people’s use of social media, a development that comes amid concerns over leaked research from Facebook itself that found Instagram could have a negative impact on teens’ mental health.

Other states that have introduced similar bills include Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio and Utah.

California is also considering similar legislation called the Protecting Children from Social Media Addiction Act, sponsored by the state attorney general and co-authored by a bipartisan group of state senators.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/florida-cam-tre-em-duoi-14-tuoi-dung-mang-xa-hoi-20240327143003502.htm