MIAMI.- Great confusion is generating the new legislation approved in the Congress of Florida and that passed to the signature of Governor Ron DeSantis, to restrict the access of minors at social networks.
The measure seeks to prohibit anyone under 16 years of age from using some social networks, although it would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to do so if they have their parents’ permission.
What does the law say about social networks?
The new version of the law, after an initial bill was vetoed by DeSantis, would only affect social media platforms “with at least 10% of daily active users under the age of 16 and who spend an average of two hours or more in the service”that is, ‘connected’.
Essentially, the confusion for some law analysts comes from the fact that the rule does not identify which social networks would be covered by these rules. However, some venture to say that they could include Snapchat and TikTokbased on recent demographic data.
The confusion is increased because not all companies have published data on the age demographic and the use of these virtual communities by children and adolescents, making it difficult to determine which platforms would be affected.
Likewise, the legislation would require platforms that post or distribute material harmful to minors to verify age of each user, but does not specify how to perform this task.
Likewise, the law does not address how companies would verify whether a parent has approved a 14- or 15-year-old child being connected to a social network.
Challenges of the law
Although the vote on the second version of the bill had more support, the legislation continues to generate debate about its constitutionality and the balance between child protection and parental rights.
In fact, some organizations already they anticipate lawsuits for the alleged violation of rights enshrined in the Constitution.
One thing that is notable is that the law has gained support from both Republicans and Democrats. However, some lawmakers continue to express concerns about the government’s reach into family life.
Defenders of the law argue that the rule is necessary to Protect children from the negative effects of social media in your mental health.
For their part, those who oppose them maintain the narrative that the government should leave these decisions to parents and not interfere.
