Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, rejected a proposed ban on social media use for minors on Friday. Lawmakers have now come up with new wording to prevent children under the age of 14 from using addictive platforms.

The proposed legislation presented to the governor last week aimed to prohibit minors under the age of 16 from using popular social media sites, regardless of consent from their parent or guardian. Although DeSantis had reservations regarding privacy and parental rights, he now appears to support a revised version of the bill that would permit 14 and 15-year-olds to use social media with parental consent, while still banning access for younger children.

The governor, DeSantis, stated in his veto message that the Legislature will be creating a new and better bill. He emphasized the significance of safeguarding children against the potential dangers of social media, as well as upholding the rights of parents and preserving the freedom of adults to communicate anonymously.

He stated that he expects to approve the latest legislation, which will be presented to the Senate on Monday, only a few days prior to the end of the legislative session on March 8th.

The legislators anticipated the veto and collaborated with DeSantis to reach a compromise. Republican House Speaker Paul Renner, who views social media as a threat to the well-being of children, regards this issue as a major concern.

Renner expressed his belief that the age limit for consumption and purchase of a certain substance should be raised to 18. In his opinion, this substance has negative effects and is dangerous. He also noted that the company responsible for its production prioritizes profit over the well-being of children, which is concerning.

Renner remains hopeful after the veto and believes the latest proposal is a better version of the initial bill, which will likely garner more public backing.

“It’s a good product of compromise,” he said. “It will have a better chance of getting through the courts.”

Several states have mulled over comparable laws. In Arkansas, a federal judge barred the implementation of a regulation in August that mandated minors to acquire parental consent before setting up new social media accounts.

Some people in Florida believe that the proposed legislation will pass legal challenges because it aims to prohibit social media platforms that use addictive features like notification alerts and autoplay videos, rather than targeting the content on the sites.

Source: wral.com