Ringing in the new year with a social media restriction for teens. HB-3 , a law that would restrict social media access to children, was signed into law on March 25, 2024. Social media platforms will be required to prohibit minors under the age of 14 from creating accounts in the state.
The platforms will also require consent from a parent or guardian for minors between the ages of 14 and 15 to create accounts.
There’s been a lot of chatter surrounding this bill, with some state leaders saying social media is negative, addicting and linked to depression.
“A child and their brain development doesn’t have the ability to know that they’re being sucked into these addictive technologies and to see the harm and step away from it, and because of that, we have to step in for them," state Rep. Paul Renner said.
The Free Speech Coalition is one of the groups suing the state of Florida over HB 3.
They say the law creates a substantial burden on adults who want to access legal sites without fear of surveillance.
The Department of Legal Affairs may collect civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation. Account holders who are minors may also pursue up to $10,000 in damages.
It is unclear at this time which social media platforms will be affected due to the new law, though it does focus on platforms that use algorithms, addictive features and those that allow users to view the content or activities of other users.
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