Ron DeSantis sparks debate following social media ban in Florida | indy100

Social media banned for children under 14 in Florida

Bang Showbiz - Tech / VideoElephant

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that will prohibit those under fourteen from joining social media, and it has divided the internet.

The bill, HB3, also states those who are 14 or 15 will need their parent's consent before they join a platform. Additionally, social media companies must delete the existing accounts of those under 14, and any company that fails to do so can be sued on behalf of the child.

“Ultimately, [we’re] trying to help parents navigate this very difficult terrain that we have now with raising kids, and so I appreciate the work that’s been put in,” DeSantis said in remarks during the bill-signing ceremony.

However, the move has attracted both praise and heavy criticism, with some worried the move is just another veiled attempt to suppress LGBTQ+ content from being accessed by minors.

This is because another aspect of the bill requires commercial apps and websites to introduce "anonymous age verification" when over a third of content on the site contains "material harmful to minors." Which doesn't only mean content such as pornography, but practically anything related to nudity or sex.

Which X user @KnowingBetterYT pointed out "what these laws mean in practice is that you will have to enter your ID or use a credit card to prove that you're 18 to even read anything about Sex Ed or LGBT anything."

What these laws mean in practice is that you will have to enter your ID or use a credit card in order to prove that you're 18 to even read about Sex Ed or LGBT anything.\n\nIn Texas, your information goes into a database which is kept by the state.\n\nCool stuff.\n\n/fin
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Others echoed similar worries about how the bill would impact the LGBTQ+ community.

For the love of god GET ME OUTTA HERE cause I KNOW this isn\u2019t just targeted at children it\u2019s going to affect lgbt ppl
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On one hand, this is absolutely terrible for free speech and queer kids. Disavow.\n\nOn the other, it is literal terrorism for me to ever have to read what a 14-year-old thinks.
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Others said the Bill was hypocritical to Republican values on parental choice and small government:

Ah yes the party of Government Oversight is bad proving until we say it isn\u2019t \n\nHypocrisy at works
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BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis has just signed a bill blocking kids from social media websites.\n\nHouse Bill 3 forbids kids 13 and younger from creating social media accounts and requires the platforms to seek out and remove their profiles. \n\nCall me crazy but I thought that\u2026
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@krassenstein I am a staunch conservative Republican, and I completely agree with you. These restrictions are authoritarian and this is one example of why I said Ron DeSantis is more extremist than Donald Trump. We want LESS GOVERNMENT.
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Those who thought DeSantis wouldn\u2019t be another wannabe Trump, here he is\n\nThe hypocrisy of proclaiming liberty & parental rights for FLORIDA while stripping power & rights from parents & to vest in the state is astounding\n\nTo purify the youth echoes fascist calls\u2026\n#DeSantis
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But despite the criticism, many believe the bill will great for improving young people's mental health and reduce the amount of young people being exposed to explicit content:

Love that for the kids in Florida who can grow up without social media. This is amazing news
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the world if kids were banned off the internet until they turned 18
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......I...I agree with DeSantis on this.
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