Florida Governor DeSantis has vetoed a blanket social media ban for youth in the state

Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida entered into a legal dispute on Friday when he rejected a bill that would have outlawed social media use for minors under the age of sixteen.

Last week, DeSantis hinted at a potential veto, stating that a measure that had been adopted by the state Senate required work.

Nonetheless, the Republican governor said that legislators are drafting a fresh plan that takes parental rights and privacy concerns into account.

DeSantis said on X, “It’s important to protect kids from the negative effects of social media, as well as to uphold parents’ rights and allow adults to express themselves freely.”

“I hope the new bill will be signed into law soon and will acknowledge these priorities.”

The original provision mandated that social media companies prohibit minors under 16 from opening accounts.

Amid concerns about adolescent suicide, cyberbullying, and sexual predators, the Act aimed to safeguard children’s mental health from the “addictive features” of these platforms.

The majority of social media platforms currently require users to be 13 years old to create an account, but they take no steps to enforce this rule.

Parents, not law enforcement, should monitor their children’s social media use, according to the bill’s opponents.

The governor, who withdrew from the race for president in January after a failed campaign, has often maintained that parents need to have greater authority over choices that impact their children, especially those related to education.

Florida has enacted legislation under DeSantis that prohibits teaching of gender identity and sex education in schools and outlaws diversity initiatives at public colleges.

In recent months, a large number of books that conservative parents and school boards felt unsuitable for young readers were taken down from the state’s school library shelves.

A few opponents said that DeSantis’ veto of the law would be a violation of the First Amendment, which protects free expression.

In January, DeSantis issued a warning, citing judicial challenges to such legislation in other states.