Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill at Jacksonville school banning social media for kids under 14

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Jacksonville on Monday morning to sign a bill banning social media accounts for children under the age of 14.

DeSantis signed the bill, which is expected to be challenged in court, at Cornerstone Classical Academy.

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He was joined by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., and House Speaker Paul Renner.

The bill is expected to become law January 1. It mainly addresses addictive features on social media such as endless scroll and liking posts.

RELATED: Tech industry claims Florida bill aimed at protecting kids on social media may end online anonymity

DeSantis said Monday that it does not engage in any regulation of speech. Teens ages 15 and 16 could get social media accounts with parental consent.

DeSantis said the signing of House Bill 3 gives parents a greater ability to protect their children.

“One of the things I know a lot of parents have had concerns about is the role that the internet and social media play in the upbringing of young kids,” DeSantis said.

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This bill, DeSantis said, also protects the ability of Floridians to remain anonymous online.

It also requires pornographic or sexually explicit websites to use age verification to prevent minors from accessing sites that are inappropriate for children.

“What the bill doesn’t do is it doesn’t cover content at all,” Renner said. “You won’t find a line in the bill anywhere that covers good, good speech or bad speech. That’s the First Amendment.”

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Action News Jax Alexus Cleavenger asked Renner what his response is to those who say the government is overreaching with this bill. He said they have an obligation to public safety.

“This bill is really about protecting the safety of children online,” Renner said.

The main concern from the tech industry revolves around the bill’s requirement for social media companies to verify the age of users, which could involve presenting IDs or other sensitive information.

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