DeSantis vetoes social media restrictions for minors

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday vetoed a plan to bar Floridians under the age of 16 from accessing certain social media platforms, which the legislature approved earlier this month.

The plan would have also required that platforms delete the accounts of underaged persons and cleared both chambers in decisive votes. The state House approved the plan 108-7 while the Senate did so 23-14.

The governor had previously expressed concerns with the legislation and indicated that he expected the legislature to produce a revised bill when announcing the veto.

"I have vetoed HB 1 because the Legislature is about to produce a different, superior bill," he posted on X. "Protecting children from harms associated with social media is important, as is supporting parents’ rights and maintaining the ability of adults to engage in anonymous speech. I anticipate the new bill will recognize these priorities and will be signed into law soon."

Prior to the veto, DeSantis had clashed with state House Speaker Paul Renner over the inclusion of a parental opt-in, which Renner declined to include in the legislation.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.