Florida has decided to ban the use of social networks for children under 14 years old. This ban comes after worrying cases such as the circulation of pornographic deepfakes in Spain and the increase in “sharing,” which unintentionally exposes minors to online risks.
HB3 law
Florida passed HB3, banning people under 14 from creating social media accounts.
This law, in force from January 1, 2025, provides for fines of up to $50,000 for parents and platforms in the event of non-compliance.
It follows growing concerns related to screen addiction and the negative impacts of social media on young people, including cyberbullying and mental health problems.
Parental control
In the United States, HB3 also envisages parental control for the access of 14- to 15-yyear-olds to specific platforms and addresses the filtering of pornographic sites.
Politicians justify this law by the insufficient maturity of adolescents to manage addiction to social networks.
In France, problems linked to sharing
"Sharing," a common practice among more than half of French parents, consists of sharing photos, videos, and other multimedia content about your children on social networks.
Although this may seem trivial, the National Commission for Information Technology and Liberties recently warned of the real risks linked to this bad habit.
Even if access to social networks is officially prohibited for those under 13, children have on average 1,300 photos of themselves online even before their first registration on a platform.
An international movement to protect young people online
Florida's decision is part of a global movement to protect young people from the risks associated with excessive exposure to screens and the Internet.
Last January, a group of Spanish parents launched “Adolescence without Cell Phones” to fight against the excessive use of smartphones by young people.
This movement originated in Catalonia but quickly gained ground throughout the peninsula.
Monitoring and enforcement
To implement this ban, it will be necessary to ensure rigorous monitoring and verification of the age of users of the various online platforms.
Service providers will have to work closely with the authorities to report any possible breaches of this new regulation.