The Florida House approved a bill Wednesday that requires social media companies to ban accounts that belong to children under the age of 16. The House overwhelmingly approved the proposal with a vote of 106–13.
To enforce this policy, social media platforms would need to verify the age of their users through a third-party service. The bill raises concerns about cybersecurity and privacy because this age verification process would likely require a form of government identification like a driver’s license or social security number.
The adoption of this measure has sparked questions from various concerned parties. In Alachua County, one concern is that students are unable to access links embedded in virtual textbooks that may take them to educational social media sites.
The bill will now move to the Senate for a vote. Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo has already voiced her support for the proposal.