TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The social media ban for minors under the age of 16 is still alive in the state of Florida.
A bill that compliments HB 1, which was vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday, is now headed for a final vote in the Florida House. HB 3 passed in the Senate 30 to 5 on Monday after changes were made to it during negotiations with the governor.
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HB 3 is considered a compliment to HB 1, which would have restricted teenagers under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts and provide options for termination of their existing accounts.
The bill, which is titled Online Access to Materials Harmful to Minors, has been rewritten. It would limit online access to material deemed harmful to minors and would require commercial entities that publish or distribute materials to perform age verifications to prevent access.
This would likely include X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
“We felt strongly that we had better than a puncher’s chance to go into court with the last bill. We feel our changes are very, very good with this bill and we’ve hit the right mark,” said Rep. Paul Renner, (R) FL House Speaker.
If the House passes HB 3, DeSantis is expected to sign it into law, and it would go into effect on July 1.