Florida lawmakers are considering what would be the nation’s toughest regulation of social media and children.
The state House of Representatives recently approved House Bill 1, which prohibits children under 16 from using most social media platforms, regardless of parental approval.
The bill targets social media platforms that include sites that track user activity, allow children to upload content, or use addictive features designed to cause compulsive use. is included.
The House passed the bill on January 24 by a vote of 106-13, with many Democrats joining the House’s Republican majority in supporting the bill. The bill will now be debated in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Most social media platforms now require users to be at least 13 years old.
The bill, which is opposed by people who say it violates the First Amendment and parental rights, includes removing information on existing accounts from social media accounts owned by children under 16. This makes it possible to stop the It would also require social media sites to use “reasonable age verification methods” to verify a user’s age.
The Florida bill comes at a time when social media companies, as well as parents, lawmakers and health care providers, are figuring out how to approach social media and children.
On Wednesday, the chief executives of the nation’s top social media companies testified to Congress at a hearing aimed at increasing support for federal legislation to protect children online.
Among those testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee was Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Company X, formerly known as Twitter. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap, Snapchat’s parent company. Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Meta. and Jason Citron, CEO of Discord.
At the hearing, Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin called online child exploitation “an American crisis” and said technology gives predators “powerful new tools” to target children. It claimed that social media was “contributing to the crisis”, fueled by rapid changes in the world. . ”
Referring to the social media companies themselves, he said, “Their design choices, failure to properly invest in trust and safety, and constant pursuit of engagement and profit over basic safety are all part of our children’s lives.” “They are putting their children and grandchildren at risk,” he added. Opening statement.
In his State of the Union address earlier this month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams classified social media as a “public health hazard” and “environmental toxin,” and said young people must be protected from “harm” online. Stated.
In his Jan. 25 speech, Adams argued that TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook are “fueling the mental health crisis by designing platforms with addictive and dangerous features.”
The mayor said, “This is the first major city in the United States to take such a step to highlight the dangers of social media.” “Just as the Surgeon General has done with tobacco and guns, we will treat social media like any other public health hazard and hold tech companies accountable for their products. Guaranteed.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a series of new safety measures for teens last week, including limiting private messages from strangers and introducing new parental controls.
According to the Associated Press, Mehta argued against the Florida bill that social media regulations should be overseen on a federal basis and that parental approval is sufficient for minors to use social media.
“Many of today’s teens are using the internet and apps to responsibly gather information and learn about new opportunities such as part-time jobs, higher education, civic and church meetings, and military service.” Representative Calder Harville-Childs wrote in a letter to the Florida House Judiciary. According to the Associated Press, the committee. “By banning admission to youth under 16, Florida risks putting its youth at a disadvantage compared to other youth.”
Last year, the American Psychological Association launched a series of first-of-its-kind programs aimed at helping teens use social media safely, including setting time limits, encouraging family discussions about social media, and parental supervision. The first recommendations were published.
Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General also issued an advisory warning about urgent public health issues related to social media use and youth mental health.
In recommendations released in May, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy discusses the mental health impacts on youth, including the types of content that are most harmful, social factors that can protect youth, and ways to protect youth. called for further research to determine the extent of Social media can be beneficial.
“Until now, the burden of protecting youth has fallen primarily on children, youth, and their families,” Murthy wrote. “The burden of mitigating the risk of harm from social media cannot be placed entirely on the shoulders of children and parents.”
Murthy called on social media companies to prioritize safety and privacy in product design and ensure compliance with minimum age requirements. He believes 13 is “too young” for children to use social media, describing the age as “a time when children develop their identity and sense of self.”
The recommendations also outlined how policymakers can achieve change in three ways. These include creating policies that restrict access to potentially harmful content, developing digital and media literacy curricula in schools, and increasing funding for related research.