FL House Passes Bill to Ban Kids Under 16 from Social Media and Its Dangers

The Florida House of Representatives has advanced a bill that would prohibit kids under the age of 16 from accessing social media regardless of whether they have their parent's approval, pointing to the need to protect children from online sexual predators and cyberbullying.

The House voted 106-13 to approve the measure, HB 1, which is considered a top priority for the chamber's speaker.

"This is about protecting children from addictive technology and what we know harms them – and what the social-media platforms know. For years, they have known this and they have failed to act. By your vote today, we have done so," Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Paul Renner told House members after the vote.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, children and adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health problems including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

"We have gaps in our full understanding of the mental health impacts posed by social media but at this point cannot conclude it is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents," reads a statement from the department.

"The truth is, people use these platforms to prey on our children," Democratic Rep. Kevin Chambliss said Wednesday.

The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, does not specify which platforms would be affected.

However, it targets any site that tracks user activity, allows children to upload content, or uses design features like endless scrolling, which critics say encourages excessive or compulsive use.

"They're taking advantage of kids growing up. That's their business model. And why do they do it? To keep them hooked ... with the dopamine hits that the platform gives our children with every autoplay, with every like, with every push notification," said bill sponsor Republican Rep. Tyler Sirois.

Opponents of the bill say it infringes on parental rights, violates the First Amendment, and takes away benefits some children get from social media. 

"I think the intention of those who have filed [the bill] is absolutely golden. We have a concern about the impact of social media on our young people," said Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani. "I just find the solution that you propose too broad and casts a wide a net with unintended consequences."

The Florida bill would require social media companies to close any accounts it believes to be used by minors and to cancel accounts at the request of minors or parents. Information pertaining to those accounts must be deleted.

Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites, says they have improved security features and parental controls to protect children.

They are urging Florida lawmakers to seek another solution like requiring parental approval to download apps.

The social media giant also wants legislation at the federal level rather than a patchwork of different 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."

Florida is not the only state to take action recently to limit teens' exposure to social media.

Last year, Utah imposed a ban for people under the age of 18 from using social media without consent from a guardian, The Guardian reports.  It also prohibits minors from using apps between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

An industry trade group is currently suing Utah over the law, the outlet reports.

In Arkansas, a federal judge blocked enforcement of a law passed in August that required parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams designated social media as an environmental toxin and public health hazard.

"It's a situation where kids can't stay off the platforms, and as a result of that, they have been trapped in an environment that harms their mental health," Renner told reporters after the House vote.

The Florida Senate has not yet voted on its version of the bill, NBC Miami reports.

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