Children could be banned from using social media in Florida under bombshell new laws.
The House of Representatives approved a bill on Wednesday that prohibits those aged 16 or under from using the platforms regardless of parental consent.
The legislation targets social media platforms that track user activity, enable children to post content or interact and those which incorporate addictive features promoting excessive use. It has not been specified which companies would be affected.
"We must address the harmful effects social media platforms have on the development and well-being of our kids," said Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.
"Florida has a compelling state interest and duty to protect our children, their mental health, and their childhood."
The bill received bipartisan backing from both Democrats and Republicans, with the House voting 106 for and 13 against it.
The legislation will now go to the Florida state Senate for consideration. Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature.
Should it be enacted, it will require social media platforms to terminate the accounts of anyone aged 17 or under and to use a third-party verification system to screen out children.
Firms would also have to delete personal information collected from terminated accounts and enable parents to bring civil suits against those failing to do so.
Social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, opposed the bill and urged the House to seek alternative solutions such as requiring parental approval to download apps.
“Many teens today leverage the internet and apps to responsibly gather information and learn about new opportunities, including part-time jobs, higher education, civic or church gatherings, and military service,” Meta representative Caulder Harvill-Childs wrote to the House Judiciary Committee.
“By banning teens under 16, Florida risks putting its young people at a disadvantage versus teens elsewhere.”
Other states have considered similar legislation, but most have not proposed a total ban.
In August, a federal judge blocked a law in Arkansas from being enforced that demanded parents' consent for minors to set up new social media accounts
But Mr Renner, who has made the issue his top priority, said the Florida bill should withstand constitutional scrutiny because it targets the addictive features of social media rather than content.
“It’s a situation where kids can’t stay off the platforms, and as a result of that, they have been trapped in an environment that harms their mental health,” Renner told reporters after the vote.
Opponents argued that the bill would violate the First Amendment and take away benefits some children get from social media. Others said that it should be up to parents, not the state, to decide which sites their children are allowed to visit.
