Florida's House of Representatives has reportedly passed a bill prompting to terminate all social media accounts belonging to teens 16 and under, just a day after New York City declared it as a "toxin."
The bill, coined as Florida House Bill 1 as per ABC, was passed with a bipartisan vote of 106 to 13. House Speaker Paul Renner commented on the passing of the legislation stating that the detrimental effects social media platforms have on children's development and wellbeing must be addressed by the public.
Renner went on to say that Florida has a strong state interest in safeguarding the mental health and childhood of its youth.
The law was enacted by the House with the assistance of several Democrats who joined the Republican majority in the chamber. The Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, will now examine it.
(Photo : Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
In this photo illustration, social media apps are seen on a mobile phone on July 29, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey.
The law will reportedly forbid children under the age of 16 from opening new social media accounts and mandates that platforms remove any accounts that kids under the age of 16 may already have.
Although the bill does not specify which platforms it would specifically target, it states that it would apply to any feature that makes use of harmful, addictive, or deceptive design elements, or any other feature intended to make an account holder feel an overwhelming or obsessive need to use or interact with the social media platform.
In addition, social media businesses would have to remove all personally identifiable information from user profiles and verify users' age through an independent, non-governmental third party unaffiliated with the social media platform.
Read Also: TikTok Accused in Latest Lawsuit of Lying About Content Accessible to Minors
Social Media Ban on the Horizon
This passing follows after just a day social media was deemed as a public health risk and an environmental "toxin," by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who also stated that youths need to be shielded from damage when using it.
A number of jurisdictions, including Florida, have lately made steps to restrict the amount of social media that minors are exposed to. Utah became the first state in the nation last year to outlaw the use of social media by minors under the age of eighteen without parental permission.
Additionally, from 10.30 p.m. to 6.30 a.m., the state forbids minors from utilizing social media accounts. Utah is now being sued by an industry trade association about the statute.
Meta Contends the Law
The House was reportedly asked by Meta, the corporation that runs Facebook, Instagram, and other social media networks, to look for other solutions, such demanding parental consent before downloading applications. It also prefers federal action over a hodgepodge of state and local rules when it comes to this subject.
Representative Caulder Harvill-Childs of Meta contended that, since many teens use the internet and apps to responsibly gather information and learn about new opportunities, such as higher education, part-time jobs, civic or religious gatherings, and military service, Florida runs the risk of disadvantageously placing its youth in comparison to teens elsewhere if it continues to forbid teens under the age of sixteen.
Related Article: Social Media Officially Declared a "Toxin" by New York City Mayor
