A bill filed late Friday would prohibit minors in Florida from having social media accounts.
State Reps. Tyler Sioris, a Merritt Island Republican, and Fiona McFarland, a Sarasota Republican, filed the legislation (HB 1). As written, the bill would require tech companies to enact reasonable age verification methods, prevent anyone under 16 from opening an account, and demand platforms delete any existing accounts for underage users.
"The data linking teen social media use and mental health is clear, and under Speaker (Paul) Renner's leadership we will keep a product we know to be both addictive and harmful away from Florida's youth," McFarland said.
Of note, the designation of HB 1 is normally held for priority legislation for House leadership.
McFarland has battled tech companies about content targeting minors before, and spent years on a data privacy bill ultimately signed into law in June.
The latest piece of legislation defines a social media platform as one where users can upload content or view materials put up by others, and where the companies providing the service can track the activity of users.
That covers such major platforms as Facebook, Instagram or X.
The legislation specifically excludes any exclusive communication software such as e-mail or direct messaging. It also exempts streaming platforms providing only licensed media that can be consumed by individuals.
But user-generated content puts a platform in the snares of the law. That seems to lump platforms like YouTube in with social media, while exempting streamers to only provide content such as Netflix or Disney Plus.
The legislation allows minors onto e-commerce sites, so long as user interaction is limited to posting reviews, and it excludes online gaming sites. It also allows for minors to access sites showcasing art, so long as the content doesn't qualify as pornography. Similar exemptions exist for academic sites and for business services.
While the legislation requires platforms to develop means to verify age, it prohibits companies from using the information to push advertising content.
If minors or their parents ask for an account to be deleted, the bill requires platforms to permanently delete any collected data on the user.
The legislation places reporting mechanism requirements for potential harmful behavior, including cyber-bullying or threats of self-harm.
No comments:
Post a Comment