Florida wants to ban children under 16 from using social media

Florida lawmakers on Jan. 24 advanced a bill that would prevent social media platforms from registering children under 16 years old. The measure proposes to ban teenagers from having an account, and everyone else will be required to prove their age, reports Guardian.

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The bill would prohibit people under 16 from creating new social media accounts and require platforms to delete existing accounts belonging to minors under 16. It will also require social media companies to remove any personal information from accounts. An independent third party not affiliated with the social media platform will be required to verify the age of users.

Digital fentanyl

The bill passed the Florida House of Representatives (106 in favor, 13 against) and is now sent to the Republican-controlled Senate.

“These doses of dopamine from social media are so addictive, it's like digital fentanyl,” Fiona McFarland, a Republican lawmaker who co-sponsored the bill, said on the floor Jan. 24. “And even the most dedicated parent or determined teen has a hard time closing the door on these addictive features.”

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Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, issued a warning last year about the dangers of social media for children. He said more research is needed to fully understand the effects.

“There are many indicators that social media poses serious risks to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents,” he noted.

The bill does not specify which platforms it will apply to. It only says it covers anything that has “addictive, harmful or deceptive features designed to cause excessive or compulsive behavior in the account holder.”

Florida is one of several states that have recently taken steps to limit teens' access to social media.

Last year, Utah became the first state in the country to ban people under 18 from using social media without a guardian's consent. The state, among other things, prohibits minors from using a social media account between 22:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. An industry trade group is currently suing Utah over the law.

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Other states have required platforms to take measures such as child safety assessments and changes to how they serve minors. New York on January 24 declared social media a “public health hazard.”

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