The House in Tallahassee, Florida passed a bill on Wednesday that would prohibit children under 16 from using popular social media platforms, even with their parents’ permission. The bill is the main focus of the House speaker.

The legislation does not specify the specific platforms that would be impacted, but it aims to regulate any social media platform that monitors user behavior, enables minors to post content and communicate with others, and incorporates addictive elements that may lead to excessive or compulsive usage. The bill would not apply to applications used for personal messaging between two individuals.

Representative Tyler Sirois, who sponsored the bill, stated that companies are exploiting children’s development for profit. Their tactic is to keep kids hooked by providing constant dopamine rushes through features such as autoplay, likes, and push notifications.

The bill was approved by the House with a vote of 106-13, as some Democrats joined Republicans in favor. Supporters claimed that social media puts children at risk of bullying and sexual predators, and can also contribute to mental health issues such as depression, suicide, and addiction.

Michele Rayner, a Democratic Representative, shared her stance on the bill on X last Tuesday and mentioned her late mother. During a House session on Wednesday, she read out some of the negative comments she received from users on the platform, which included remarks such as “Your mother sucks” and “Your mom was stupid.”

“I am 42 years old … and receiving comments like these was a painful blow to me, but I managed to handle it,” she stated. “Think about what our children have to face when their peers in school engage in the same cyberbullying against them.”

The parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites, Meta, has advised the House to find an alternative resolution. This could include implementing a requirement for parental consent when downloading apps. Additionally, Meta believes the matter should be dealt with at a national level rather than having a variety of state laws.

“Many teens today leverage the internet and apps to responsibly gather information and learn about new opportunities, including part-time jobs, higher education, civic or church gatherings, and military service,” Meta representative Caulder Harvill-Childs wrote to the House Judiciary Committee. “By banning teens under 16, Florida risks putting its young people at a disadvantage versus teens elsewhere.”

Some states have thought about enacting comparable laws, but the majority have not suggested a complete prohibition. In Arkansas, a judge at the national level prevented the implementation of a law in August which mandated parental permission for minors to establish new social media profiles.

However, Republican House Speaker Paul Renner, who has made this matter his main focus, stated that the Florida bill should be able to withstand constitutional examination as it addresses the addictive aspects of social media rather than its content.

Renner stated to reporters after the vote that due to children’s inability to stay away from social media platforms, they have become stuck in a harmful environment that negatively impacts their mental well-being.

The proposed legislation in Florida would mandate social media platforms to shut down accounts of minors and comply with requests from minors or their parents to cancel accounts. All data associated with these accounts must be erased.

Critics contended that the proposed legislation would infringe on the First Amendment and deprive children of the advantages they receive from using social media. They also emphasized that it should be the responsibility of parents to determine which websites their children are allowed to access.

Democratic Representative Anna Eskamani shared that social media served as a source of solace and support for her following the loss of her mother at the age of 13.

She stated, “I believe the motives of those who have submitted the bill are pure. We are worried about the effects of social media on our youth.” She continued, “However, I find the solution you suggest to be too sweeping and could have unforeseen repercussions.”

Source: wral.com