Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has taken steps to safeguard children from harmful predators and unsuitable online material by enacting a law that prohibits all minors under the age of 14 from having social media accounts.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has enacted a law that prohibits children under 14 from having their own social media accounts, aiming to shield them from online dangers like predators, inappropriate content, and cyberbullying until they are old enough to navigate adult-oriented communications and content safely. By signing HB3 into law on March 25, 2024, Governor DeSantis is leading the effort to protect young individuals from the threats of online predators, harmful content, cyberbullying, financial scams, and mental health issues that are increasingly affecting today’s youth.

“Social media poses various risks to our children,” stated Governor Ron DeSantis. “With HB 3, we’re empowering parents to better safeguard their kids. I’m grateful to Speaker Renner for spearheading this critical bill.”

“The internet has turned into a dangerous place for kids, with predators lurking and harmful social media contributing to increased depression, self-harm, and even suicide,” House Speaker Paul Renner expressed. “I commend the efforts of bill sponsors Representatives Tyler Sirois, Fiona McFarland, Michele Rayner, Chase Tramont, and Toby Overdorf for creating a bill that focuses on our children’s safety. Governor DeSantis’ signing of this bill places Florida at the forefront of online child protection, setting a precedent for other states grappling with these issues.”

Key points of this bill include:

• Prohibiting anyone under 14 from owning a social media account.
• Giving parents the power to decide if their 14- and 15-year-olds can have social media accounts.
• Ensuring Floridians can stay anonymous online.

Beyond safeguarding children from social media’s risks, HB 3 mandates that websites with pornographic or sexually explicit content implement age verification to block minors from accessing content unsuitable for them.

With the rise of smartphones, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and others have amassed roughly 5 billion users worldwide by 2024, out of a global population of 8 billion. These platforms often prioritize increasing user engagement to boost advertising revenue, even at the cost of user addiction and harm, as evidenced by internal documents from Facebook.

The expansion of social media has coincided with a surge in youth depression, cyberbullying, and extortion. The U.S. Surgeon General has issued warnings about the mental health risks associated with excessive social media use, noting that children and adolescents who spend over three hours a day on these platforms are at double the risk of suffering from mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. Breaking free from addictive behaviors, whether it’s playing video games, consuming junk food, or engaging with social media, is particularly challenging for young children.

This Florida legislation not only restricts account ownership to those older than 14 but also gives parents the authority to decide if their 14 to 15-year-olds can have social media accounts. The law also mandates that adult websites verify the age of their users and ensures the online anonymity of Florida’s residents. However, it does not cover other methods through which criminals can contact children, such as via text, email, or phone calls.

Parents concerned about their children’s safety online are encouraged to educate themselves about the risks posed by social media and explore strategies to mitigate these dangers. It’s important for parents to closely monitor their children’s online activity, establish strict usage guidelines, and teach their children to identify and report any dangerous or inappropriate interactions to a trusted adult, such as a parent, teacher, or law enforcement officer.

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