(C) Florida Phoenix This story was originally published by Florida Phoenix and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Broad social media restrictions for teens and younger kids are headed to Gov. DeSantis' desk • Florida Phoenix [1] ['Michael Moline', 'More From Author', '- March'] Date: 2024-03-06 Legislation banning social media use for children under 14 and allowing access only with parental approval for those aged 14 and 15 was headed for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk Wednesday following final passage by the Florida House. The Senate passed the measure earlier in the week. The bill (HB 3) is more lenient than an earlier version, which would have cut off access at age 16, with parental consent or not. However, DeSantis vetoed that version but reached agreement with House and Senate leaders on the new language. The final 109-4 vote on House Speaker Paul Renner’s top priority for the annual legislative session came two days before its scheduled adjournment on Friday. “This is something that will, I believe, save the current generation and generations to come if we’re successful,” Renner said following the vote. Bill sponsor Tyler Sirois, a Republican from Brevard County, gave an emotional closing speech, accusing social media platforms of knowingly using algorithms and other tools to hook kids and subject them to dangerous material, including “challenges” to engage in dangerous behaviors. “Addictive design features manipulate the way our children think, how they learn, how they form relationships. These companies know it and they have done nothing to correct it. And we see the results of their inaction in increasing rates of mental health conditions like anorexia, increased rates of hospital admissions for self-harm,” Sirois said. The platforms are less a “town square” than a “dark alley,” he continued. “A town square is not built on a foundation of deception and manipulation.” ‘Bad people’ Critics worried the bill doesn’t give parents enough control over their children’s access to social media. Orange County Democrat Anna Eskamani argued it would open the state to constitutional litigation. “Whether you ban a platform or not, bad people are still going to find a way to impact our kids,” Eskamani said. Bill co-sponsor Michele Rayner, a Democrat representing parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, rejected suggestions the measure violates the First Amendment or Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, interfering with business relationships. “I would not be putting my name on something that I feel was unconstitutional, that would not be able to meet constitutional muster,” said Rayner, who is an attorney. “It is narrowly tailored, it is, I believe this is the least restrictive means, and I think when you identify social media for children as a vice, that is how you get over the hump of it actually going against the Commerce Clause,” she continued. “And I challenge y’all to show me a page number and a line where this actually restricts content. If it doesn’t, then I will fall on my sword and say I’m wrong,” Rayner concluded. The revised bill drops language requiring platforms to verify teenagers’ ages in favor of authorizing prosecution by the attorney general’s office or civil lawsuits if they fail to take reasonable steps do so. It exempts platforms that don’t subject users to “engagement” features calculated to keep them online, including algorithms and “like” buttons. Supporters argued those features result in a form of addiction. Other provisions require platforms that allow people access to “material harmful to minors,” defined as appealing to “prurient interest” as established by “contemporary community standards,” to apply a “reasonable age verification method” conducted “by a nongovernmental, independent, third-party not affiliated with the commercial entity” to ensure they are at least 18 years old. Covered material would include “patently offensive” sexual material that “when taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.” It contains penalties equivalent to those in the social media bill. The bill says platforms have to terminate accounts for children under 14 or allow them or their parents or guardians to request cancellation. They have to delete any personal information about the users. They couldn’t launch new accounts for 14- and 15-year-olds without parental permission. “Knowing or reckless” failure to obey would subject a platform to action by the Florida Department of Legal Affairs, punishable by up to $50,000 in civil penalties. They also could be subject to civil lawsuit, with potential damages set at $10,000. [END] --- [1] Url: https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/03/06/broad-social-media-restrictions-for-teens-and-younger-kids-are-headed-to-gov-desantis-desk/ Published and (C) by Florida Phoenix Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/floridaphoenix/