Parental Rights vs. Child Protections: Florida Lawmakers Go Head-to-Head Over New Social Media Bill

TALLAHASSEE, FL --- In a push toward increased protection of children, the Florida House voted on a new bill banning social media usage for children under 16. Social media platforms in violation of the bill would face a $50,000 fine per penalty, and up to $10,000 in civil damages to be paid to the minor or the minor's guardian.

"It's very important that we look at this issue through the lens of social media being an industry," said HB 1's sponsor, Rep. Tyler Sirois (R-Brevard), in Wednesday's Judiciary Committee. "This legislature and our predecessors have a long history of stepping into different industries and acknowledging that there has to be some guardrails for the safety of our kids, for the safety of our communities, and that there are some things that just are not age appropriate."

Sirois explained the bill's impetus, referencing suicide as the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-24. Recent studies have begun to correlate social media use with heightened levels of depression in children and teens, particularly in females.

To ensure no minors would use social media, HB 1 requires a third-party age verification site to analyze each user. Afterward, the age verification software must delete any personal information gathered.

The blanket ban on kids on social media in conjunction with the third-party software led to public concerns over parental rights and "cyberverse" technology: "Parents should be able to make the ultimate decisions for their children, and this sweeping ban eliminates parental choice altogether," One "Gen-Z" opponent stated in public testimony, "Putting more data into the cyberverse is not a safe practice, even with the current safeguards."

"I think we're depriving parents of the right and the opportunity to be parents," Rep. Mike Gottlieb (D-Davie) said. He turned to the enforcement of the bill, questioning how it would hold up in practice: "How is anybody going to defend [the social media company] when the age verification information is not retained? We're missing the mark with the enforcement mechanism."

In his closing, Rep. Sirois acknowledged the imperfection of his bill whilst highlighting its necessity, saying, "This is not a perfect bill, but I believe this is our best attempt today to address a problem that is devastating our youth."

He continued, addressing the mental health detriments of social media: "The most consequential antidepressant a child could have is sunshine and fresh air, and unfortunately social media platforms and these addictive qualities that they employ are depriving our kids of that."

Republican Reps. Barnaby and Stark, along with Democratic Rep. Arrington wavered on their support of the bill, citing parental right concerns. However, they joined the majority in voting up on HB 1, propelling it to its next stop on the House floor.