Land of the free?
Those who live in Florida in the US and are under 14 years old will no longer be allowed to join social media starting January 2025; those 14 or 15 years old will need to get the approval of their parents, and only those 16 and older will be given the freedom of expression and information through social media as guaranteed by the US Constitution.
The bill, HB3, that was signed by rightwing Republican governor Ron DeSantis also orders social media companies to delete all existing accounts of those who are under 14. Those failing to do so can be sued, with liabilities including up to $50,000 per violation, as well as attorney’s fees and court costs. If any person creates an account for a minor, he/she may be ordered to pay up to $10,000 in damages to the minor.
Packaging the bill as pro-children, the ultra-conservative governor – who tried running to be president of the USA, and had to give up because he gravely underperformed in the primaries – said that social media has given predatory adults a tool to undermine parents’ efforts to protect children.
“Unfortunately, we’ve got predators who prey on young kids. It used to be, ‘Well, if they’re out somewhere, maybe they’re not being supervised, maybe some predator can strike.’ Now, with things like social media and all this, you can have a kid in the house safe, seemingly, and then you have predators that can get right in there, into your own home,” DeSantis was quoted as saying. “You could be doing everything right, but they know how to get and manipulate these different platforms.”
Interestingly, HB3 is said to be a “less restrictive” policy since an earlier bill wanted to ban those under 16 (not 14) from social media, while requiring Florida residents to submit an ID or other identifying materials in order to join social media.
In March, a coalition of groups sent a letter to the Florida legislature to ask them to block the proposal. For LGBTQIA youth, in particular, the ban could “deprive Florida’s youth of vital resources, educational engagement, support networks, and opportunities for personal and academic growth.”
The bill is expected to be questioned in courts.
