A Florida bill that would prohibit kids under 16 from signing up for most social media platforms has passed the state House of Representatives.

The House passed the bill by a vote of 106 to 13, with many Democrats joining the chamber’s Republican majority in support of the bill. It now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate for consideration.

  • jadero
    8•10 months ago

    Florida House Bill 1 would prohibit children under the age of 16 from using most social media platforms, regardless of parental approval.

    The social media platforms the bill would target include any site that tracks user activity, allows children to upload content or uses addictive features designed to cause compulsive use.

    How would this even work? Let’s take a closer look at the first 2 clauses of the second paragraph:

    A student portal for accessing lessons and submitting assignments would require tracking activity and uploading content. If that system is accessible to students or anyone else from anywhere other than direct connection to the school LAN, then it would be in contravention of this law.

    Or let’s say someone puts up a self-hosted, restricted-access system for extended family to stay in touch without using a commercial or public system (something I’m in the process of doing). Allowing teenagers to use that site would put them on the wrong side of the law.

    Brain damaged authoritarian nut jobs…