DeSantis vetoes bill to ban minors under 16 from using social media

A bill passed in the Florida Senate and House that would have banned minors under the age of 16 from having social media accounts was vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis Friday.

An updated bill that addresses DeSantis' concerns is now expected to be passed by the Legislature, according to a report from WCJB. DeSantis was reportedly concerned about the lack of parental consent in the first draft.

"I have vetoed HB 1 because the Legislature is about to produce a different, superior bill. Protecting children from harms associated with social media is important, as is supporting parents’ rights and maintaining the ability of adults to engage in anonymous speech," DeSantis wrote in a post to X this Friday.

"I anticipate the new bill will recognize these priorities and will be signed into law soon."

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On Friday, the Florida Senate moved to allow lawmakers to consider the revised bill which would allow lawmakers "to add a negotiated social-media proposal to a related bill (HB 3), which had been in a Senate committee, and pass it," WCJB's report stated.

“I know we all share a desire to protect children from content that is harmful. … There are differences for how to get there, but we all want to be part of the solution,” Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R) told senators.

“With HB 3 in our possession, we hold in our hands the opportunity to facilitate a potential solution to make sure this critical issue is addressed before the end of session.”

In addition to blocking minors from creating social media accounts on selected platforms, the bill would require platforms to terminate existing accounts that are already held by minors younger than 16 and allow parents to request that accounts be terminated.