Gearing up for an expected legal battle, the Florida Senate overwhelmingly passed a revamped plan aimed at keeping children off social media on Monday.
The Senate voted 30-5 to approve the plan (HB 3), three days after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed an earlier version (HB 1). DeSantis and House Speaker Paul Renner, who has made a priority of the social-media issue, negotiated the revamped plan.
Renner, R-Palm Coast, and other supporters of restrictions contend that social media harms children’s mental health and can lead to sexual predators communicating with minors. The bill seeks to prevent children under age 16 from opening social media accounts — though a key change in the revised version would allow parents to give consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to have accounts.
