Florida House passes a bill to ban social media accounts for children under 16

Florida children under the age of 16 would be banned from popular social media platforms regardless of parent approval under a bill passed by the House on Wednesday, a measure that is the top priority for the chamber’s speaker.

The bill doesn’t list which platforms would be affected, but it targets any social media site that tracks user activity, allows children to upload material and interact with others and uses addictive features designed to cause excessive or compulsive use. The bill would not affect apps used for private messages between individuals.

The House voted 106-13 for the bill, with several Democrats joining Republicans in support. Proponents argued that social media exposes children to bullying and sexual predators and can lead to depression, suicide and an addictive obsession.

Source

WTF!? Have the republicans in Florida been drinking the democrat totalitarian Kool-aid? Ron needs to veto this even if they override him, lest we give the democrats that much more ammo to lambast the right as the extremists they already label us as.

I understand the dark side of social media. I've seen it first hand unfortunately, but if they really think THIS is the solution, they have a severe case Reality Deficit Disorder. This will do nothing but exacerbate the problem 100X, unless that's what they are hoping for.

Florida is now a republican nanny state.

a reply to: Klassified

I agree. Kids should not be on social media.

But more laws is not the answer.

a reply to: Klassified

Maybe the idea is to remove targeted prey for pedos from social media.
That part doesn’t bother me. You have to be 16 to drive a car, so they probably want to see your drivers license before you can use social media. This would put a hamper on those who lie about their age so they can chat with children.

a reply to: Klassified

"Social Media" doesn't kill children, children kill children, Right! LOL!


So much for "Free Speech" and the First Amendment! Not in Florida you communist kiddos.

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: Klassified

I agree. Kids should not be on social media.

But more laws is not the answer.

I'm not surprised you get it.

How would they enforce this. Anyone can create an account by giving any age they want.

originally posted by: Dandandat3
How would they enforce this. Anyone can create an account by giving any age they want.

From their drivers license. If this becomes law they will then make you prove your identity. This is probably linked to voter identification.

One of the biggest mistakes I made as a parent was to be my Son's friend and get him a Iphone at age 11 .

Biggest regret of my life introducing him to the internet It took him over it even got so bad he was threatening suicide If I shut the internet off because he had bad grades or not doing school work .

originally posted by: TheLieWeLive
a reply to: Klassified

Maybe the idea is to remove targeted prey for pedos from social media.
That part doesn’t bother me. You have to be 16 to drive a car, so they probably want to see your drivers license before you can use social media. This would put a hamper on those who lie about their age so they can chat with children.

In theory, it may sound good, but in practice it's one more step toward no more anonymity on the internet...for anyone, which is one of Nikki Haley's talking points iirc.

a reply to: Klassified

Florida House passes a bill to ban social media accounts for children under 16

No more X. Elons' not going to like that.

btw....there's no anonymity on the internet. Don't be silly....

106-13

I don’t know how Florida works but that seems like they would blast passed that veto with all that dem support.

originally posted by: Dandandat3
How would they enforce this. Anyone can create an account by giving any age they want.

My first thought when seeing this thread's title.

a reply to: Klassified

I get it, but it’s going that way regardless of what we want. If you want to combat this then support projects like Internet Computer Protocol (ICP). That’s a blockchain project working to build a decentralized internet. Their goal is to get away from an internet controlled by mega companies like Google.

Internet Computer Protocol

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
One of the biggest mistakes I made as a parent was to be my Son's friend and get him a Iphone at age 11 .

Biggest regret of my life introducing him to the internet It took him over. It even got so bad he was threatening suicide If I shut the internet off because he had bad grades or not doing school work .

Is your son an OK person now? You didn't say how long ago this was.

originally posted by: lilzazz
a reply to: Klassified

Florida House passes a bill to ban social media accounts for children under 16

No more X. Elons' not going to like that.

btw....there's no anonymity on the internet. Don't be silly....

You're right, he won't.

Your second comment is a discussion for another time, but in short...agreed, but there's more to it.

originally posted by: WeMustCare

originally posted by: Ravenwatcher
One of the biggest mistakes I made as a parent was to be my Son's friend and get him a Iphone at age 11 .

Biggest regret of my life introducing him to the internet It took him over. It even got so bad he was threatening suicide If I shut the internet off because he had bad grades or not doing school work .

Is your son an OK person now? You didn't say how long ago this was.

Well he became an addict of the internet this was when he hit his teens he's 22 now 17 at the time of the incident , Big thing was I found out there was nothing I could do about it - I couldn't take his phone -I couldn't discipline him and I couldn't control what the psych doctors told him or gave him , He used suicide as a weapon . The only thing that snapped him into a state of recognizing his problem , Was one night he hit me and I grabbed him by his neck my wife at the time called the police and I went to jail for DV which ended up separating our family . Something that can't be fixed everything was lost our family home my Wife and our relationship. we still talk but it's not the same . It was California .

Is he OK now ? He seems to be but that can't change what happened I'm sure he regrets it but it happened and there's no way to reverse it .

I think it didn't go far enough. They should have made it 18 year old children. Children today are not near as mature as we were in the '50s and '60s. We could handle much of what was directed at us back then. Not today. I had my first after school and summer job when I was 10. I made 35 cents an hour, lol, Mountain Dews were a Nickle a can.

Nope, doesn't go far enough, but a good start!

First fluoride, now Facebook

When will this gubment madness stop!!!1

Or people could parent. Our kids all had phones, but we monitored them and they weren't allowed any social media until they were 16. Even then we only allowed them to have friends that were people we knew personally.