Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that will prohibit children younger than 14 from joining social media in the state. Those who are 14 or 15 will need a parent’s consent before they join a platform.

The bill, HB3, also directs social media companies to delete the existing accounts of those who are under 14. Companies that fail to do so could be sued on behalf of the child who creates an account on the platform. The minor could be awarded up to $10,000 in damages, according to the bill. Companies found to be in violation of the law would also be liable for up to $50,000 per violation, as well as attorney’s fees and court costs.

“Ultimately, [we’re] trying to help parents navigate this very difficult terrain that we have now with raising kids, and so I appreciate the work that’s been put in,” DeSantis said in remarks during the bill-signing ceremony.

  • Maeve
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    318 months ago

    That and he’s taking away any social support for kids that may not have any irl.

    • @WhatAmLemmy
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      328 months ago

      Ohhhhh. I was wondering why fascists would care about this. Preventing LGBTQ+ kids from accessing support structures sounds like a bingo.

      • Maeve
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        108 months ago

        We’ll the main thing is to keep them ignorant, so he’s killing one bird with two stones.

    • Uranium3006
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      28 months ago

      They want gay kids to kill themselves. They’re bad people and we need to stop pretending otherwise