Florida adopted a law on Monday prohibiting young people aged 14 and under from having accounts on social networks.
The Republican governor of Florida, known for his conservatism, Ron DeSantis, gave the green light to the law which will come into force on January 1. The text also provides that young people aged 14 and 15 will have to obtain parental permission to have the right to have an account on Facebook, Instagram or Tiktok, for example.
In addition to restrictions on social media, HB 3 requires pornographic websites to verify the age of users
The Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, Republican Paul Renner, welcomed the passage of the bill, his highest priority.
Mr. Renner justified his position by arguing that the brain of an adolescent or child is not equipped to deal with the addiction caused by social networks.
The state expects its law to be challenged by social media companies and on behalf of the Constitution’s 1st Amendment protecting free speech, but Messrs. Renner and DeSantis said they are confident it will pass the test courts.
