Florida Governor Signs Bill Allowing Children Under 14 on Social Media, Parental Consent Required, US

Florida has cleared the law that bans children aged under 14 from social media platforms and requires 14- and 15-year-olds to get parental consent. The Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis on Monday signed the bill, emphasizing its aim to protect children from online risks to their mental health. The new measure mandates social media platforms to terminate the accounts of individuals under 14 and those under 16 without parental consent. While the bill originally aimed to ban under-16s from social media entirely, parents can now provide consent for older children. The law is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has opposed the legislation, citing concerns about limiting parental discretion and raising data privacy issues. Governor Ron DeSantis expressed that the bill grants parents greater ability to safeguard their children from the harmful impacts of social media. The legislation does not specify particular platforms but targets those featuring elements like infinite scrolling, reaction metrics, auto-play videos, live-streaming, and push notifications.