The Florida state Senate passed a law on Thursday banning children under 16 from using social media platforms with “addicting features,” according to the Tampa Bay Times. The bill must now be approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who only hours before it was passed mentioned his own doubts about the bill’s viability. “I don’t think it’s there yet,” he said, adding that the legislation had “legitimate issues that gotta be worked out.” DeSantis isn’t the only one who isn’t sure about the new bill. “My concern is the bill replaces the parent in that the decision—replaces it with a far-reaching government edict,” said Republican state Sen. Jay Trumbull. The bill notably does not include an option for parents to choose to override the order. The bill would act as a blow to the rights of children, but according to House Speaker Paul Renner, it’s well worth the cost of free speech. “These addictive features and personalized algorithms are vials of poison,” he said Thursday. The bill also has implications for social media companies, which would need to shell out to enlist third-party companies for age authentication services. The bill originally passed the Florida House in January.
