Florida’s House of Representatives has greenlit what could be one of the nation’s strictest laws aimed at protecting children online, passing a bill that would bar anyone 16 and younger from using social media.
While lawmakers voiced some concerns about enforcement, parental rights and First Amendment issues, the bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, and on Thursday moved to the state Senate, which is expected to take up the bill soon.
“They are targeting our babies,” said Rep. Michele Rayner, a Democrat from St. Petersburg who sponsored a similar bill last year. “You all know I’m a civil rights lawyer, but the fight to protect our children on social media is a fight I will take every day and twice on Sundays.”
It’s the latest in a slew of statehouse proposals to crack down on what is increasingly seen as a threat to children — and their childhood. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H.
Murthy issued an advisory last year declaring social media “an important driver” of a “national youth mental health crisis.” According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 95 percent of kids ages 13 to 17 are on social media, with more than a third of them admitting “they use social media ‘almost constantly.’”
The bill, if passed, is likely to encounter resistance in court. Critics, including free speech advocates, say such proposals are unconstitutional.
“If enacted, it will jeopardize the privacy and security of Floridians who use the internet,” said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel for NetChoice, a D.C.-based trade association. “The Free State of Florida deserves better than a massive, unconstitutional internet surveillance program.”
NetChoice has filed four lawsuits against state laws restricting youths’ use of social media in Arkansas, California, Ohio and Utah. They recently won temporary injunctions blocking the laws in Arkansas and California while the cases proceed.
Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, asked Florida lawmakers to consider other options, such as requiring parental approval to download apps.
“While our company recognizes the goals of House Bill 1, we believe this bill, as currently drafted, not only fails to empower parents to make the decision regarding whether their teen may use a social media platform but also fails to create robust, industry-wide standards that help parents and teens manage their online activity,” Caulder Harvill-Childs, a public policy manager for Meta, wrote in a letter to Florida legislators.
X did not respond to a request for comment. Legislators said they’ve lost patience with social media companies. “It’s not a cure-all … but it will help and it will be a start,” said Rep. Katherine Waldron (D), one of the bill’s sponsors.
“And perhaps it will be a shot across the bow to the social media entities such as Facebook, X and Instagram to push them to help protect our children, because they have shown no interest in offering legitimate protections.”
Rep. Fiona McFarland (R) said “even the most plugged-in parent” is unable to protect kids online because of the way social media algorithms encourage near-constant use. “These dopamine hits are so addictive,” McFarland said. “It’s like a digital fentanyl.”
