2024-02-23 13:41:03
The Florida parliament on Thursday adopted a bill banning the use of social networks by children under 16, a controversial initiative in the midst of a debate in the United States on the impact of internet giants on young people.
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This vote comes in a context of growing criticism from the American authorities against the giants of social networks, in particular Meta, accused of harming the mental and physical health of young people.
The Florida text, first voted on in the Senate by 23 votes for and 14 against, was then adopted by the lower house at the end of the day, by 108 votes for, seven against.
To take effect, the bill must be signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis, who has expressed skepticism about the plan.
If he signs the text, social networks will have the obligation to prevent children under 16 from creating accounts on their platforms and close existing ones.
- Listen to the interview with Nina Duque, specialist in adolescent digital practices and lecturer at the University of Quebec in Montreal, via OLD :
Most of these networks require a minimum age of 13 to open an account, but this rule is easy to circumvent.
“We’re talking about companies using addictive features for mass manipulation of our children,” Republican Erin Grall, who is carrying the bill, told the Florida Senate on Thursday.
Several local senators opposed it, saying it is up to parents, and not authorities, to monitor their children’s use of social networks.
“Parents have the right to give their opinion,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also said during a press conference on Thursday.
The conservative Republican has particularly distinguished himself in the fight against “woke” culture, notably promoting a restriction on the teaching of subjects related to sexual orientation in primary schools.
Banning children from social media would violate the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, some critics denounce.
In January, Ron DeSantis himself warned about the viability of the law, noting that similar projects in other states had been blocked by the courts.
In 2023, a federal judge struck down an Arkansas law requiring social networks to obtain parental consent before granting minors access to their platforms.
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