DeSantis signs social media restrictions for kids, age verification for porn sites

Gov. Ron DeSantis Monday signed into law sweeping social media restrictions that also requires age verification to access pornographic websites in Florida.

The measure would take effect at the beginning of 2025 – if it survives expected lawsuits from the nation's largest tech companies.

In that case, minors under 16 would be barred from social media platforms, unless they're 14- or 15-year-olds who get a parent's permission.

"You can have a kid in the house safe, seemingly, and then you have predators that can get right in there into your own home," DeSantis said at a press conference in Jacksonville. "You could be doing everything right but they know how to get and manipulate these different platforms."

The governor was joined by local school officials and bill sponsors as well as state Attorney General Ashley Moody and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr., all of whom backed the policy.

Also there was House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, who negotiated with DeSantis on the legislation (HB 3) after the governor vetoed the original version, citing legal and parents' rights concerns.

The legislation passed both legislative chambers by a broad bipartisan basis, with only a fraction of Democrats dissenting, claiming it was government overreach that would be overturned in the courts. First Amendment advocacy organizations have also come out against the measure, saying largely the same.

Florida social media ban:Florida bans social media for children under 14. Here's what happens next

But DeSantis and Renner said they believe the measure will survive judicial scrutiny.

"What's unique in this bill is we didn't focus on content," Renner said. "You will not find a line in this bill that addresses good speech or bad speech because that would violate the First Amendment.

"... But what we have addressed is the addictive features that are at the heart of why children stay on these platforms for hours and hours on end."

The bills defines the affected social media platforms as ones with features such as push notifications and infinite scrolling, which loads content as the user scrolls down, eliminating the need to click to a next page. Those features have had an "devastating effect" on the mental health of children, Renner said.

He predicted an imminent legal challenge from NetChoice, a tech industry trade group that has filed lawsuits in other states against similar measures and has opposed Florida's.

In a statement shared shortly after the signing, the group called the restrictions unconstitutional.

“An unconstitutional law will protect exactly zero Floridians. HB 3 is also bad policy because of the data collection on Floridians by online services it will in effect require. This will put their private data at risk of breach,” said Carl Szabo, NetChoice's vice president and general counsel.

“HB 3 forces Floridians to hand over sensitive personal information to websites or lose their access to critical information channels," he continued. "This infringes on Floridians’ First Amendment rights to share and access speech online.”

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA TODAY Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com.