Florida became the tenth state to create age verification laws last week after Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 3 — a law restricting minors’ access to pornography and social media.
Most age verification legislation forces companies who peddle adult content to verify the age of their online customers. Described in Politico as “perhaps the most bipartisan laws in the country,” age verification laws empower parents to protect their children from harmful online content.
Florida’s HB 3 belongs to a smaller group of laws tackling the harms of pornography and social media at the same time. The new law requires 14- and 15-year-olds receive parental consent before creating social media accounts. Children 13-years-old and younger will be prevented from creating accounts altogether.
Social media companies who fail to verify customers’ ages and delete minors’ accounts could be charged with violating Florida’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act and face investigation from the state’s Department of Legal Affairs.
Pornography companies who likewise fail to complete age verification checks could face expensive lawsuits from parents. HB 3 allows negligent companies to be fined up to $10,000 for every child allowed to access inappropriate content.
Like most age verification laws, HB 3 has received bipartisan support from those who understand how social media and pornography harms young brains. Florida’s House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill and the state Senate passed it in a 30-5 vote.
“As a progressive, I never thought I’d write this sentence: A law just signed by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is brilliant — and should be a model for the nation,” author Kara Alaimo testifies to the unifying power of protecting kids from online threats in an opinion for CNN.
Alaimo extolls HB 3’s power to help parents create healthy boundaries for their kids:
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt also praised the legislation, noting HB 3 will “force [social media] platforms to develop effective parental consent procedures.” The law closely parallels Haidt’s recommendation that parents not allow their children on social media until they are at least 16-years-old.
For all its support, HB 3 also has some powerful enemies — namely an organization called NetChoice.
NetChoice describes itself as an organization “working to make the Internet safe for free enterprise and free expression.” In reality, it’s a trade organization offering membership to social media juggernauts like Meta, TikTok, X and Snap Inc.
NetChoice has successfully stymied legislation restricting kids’ access to social media in at least three other states. It sued Arkansas and Ohio for alleged free speech violations before their respective social media laws could take effect. In both cases, NetChoice convinced a federal judge to temporarily stop the laws’ enforcement.
The group launched a similar suit in Utah, driving legislators to replace the contested law with a weaker bill focused on privacy protection instead of minors’ access to social media services.
Pornhub seems to be betting on NetChoice going after HB 3 next. Though it habitually blocks online traffic from states who implement age verification laws, the pornography giant has been largely silent over quitting Florida.
It’s not a bad strategy for Pornhub to let NetChoice do the dirty work, given the association’s successful history of opposing such laws.
Paul Renner, Speaker for the Florida House of Representatives, also believes Florida will face legal challenges — but he’s optimistic about HB 3’s staying power.
“We’re going to beat them,” he told The Wall Street Journal, “and we’re never, ever gonna stop.”
The Daily Citizen will continue to report on age verification laws empowering parents to protect children from indiscriminate technology use. But remember, when it comes to kids, the buck always stops with parents. Scroll down for links to free resources, research and ideas to help families divorce themselves from technology today.
To find out more about age verification laws in your state, visit the Daily Citizen’s bill tracker or contact your local Family Policy Council.
Additional Articles and Resources
Four Ways to Protect Your Kids from Bad Tech, From Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt
Social Psychologist Finds Smartphones and Social Media Harm Kids in These Four Ways
The Harmful Effects of Screen-Filled Culture on Kids
‘Big Tech’ Device Designs Dangerous for Kids, Research Finds
Florida School District Bans Cellphones, Gets Results
Survey Finds Teens Use Social Media More Than Four Hours Per Day — Here’s What Parents Can Do
Plugged in Parent’s Guide to Today’s Technology
Pornhub Quits Texas Over Age Verification Law
Pornography Age Verification Laws: What They Are and Which States Have Them
Pro-Family Think Tanks Offer Smart Policy Ideas Protecting Children from Big Tech
