Florida House, Senate approve social media restrictions for minors

The Florida state House and Senate on Thursday approved legislation to impose tight restrictions on social media access for minors.

Under the plan, young Floridians under 16 years old would be barred from access several social media platforms, which in turn would be required to delete the accounts of underaged persons, Politico reported. It would also require that websites producing sensitive content, such as pornography, work to verify the age of users.

The upper chamber approved the bill 23-14 while the lower chamber did so 108-7. The dual moves mean the legislation will soon reach the desk of GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has voiced concerns over the proposal.

"I think it’s harmful for them to be on some of those platforms that have certain functionality that is addictive, I agree with that. But I also believe that parents need to have a role in this," he said.

House Speaker Paul Renner, who backed the legislation, dissented from the governor's position, contending that the provision of a parental opt-in would undercut the bill from a constitutional standpoint.

House Republicans declined to alter the legislation in the face of DeSantis's concerns, though it remains unclear whether he plans to veto the bill.

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