In a 106-13 vote, the Florida House voted Wednesday on a bill that would ban social media use for minors under the age of 16.
Known as HB 1, the bill would require social media platforms to prohibit minors from creating new accounts, terminate existing accounts of those younger than 16, and use age verification for account holders, without a parental permission exemption.
What it doesn’t do is define what social media accounts would be covered under the bill.
The bill is now heading to the Florida Senate. If it passes, it will go before Gov. Ron DeSantis to be signed into law.
‘Environmental toxin’: Florida isn’t first state to try to restrict social media use by minors
Three other states — Ohio, Arkansas and Utah — have tried to restrict minors on social media.
Ohio’s Social Media Parental Notification Act would have prohibited social media use for teens under 16 without parental consent. It’s been blocked by a federal judge.
Arkansas’ proposal also would have required parental consent for minors to sign up for social media accounts. NetChoice, a trade organization with several social media companies as members, sued the state for violating the First Amendment.