DeSantis vetoes Florida bill banning social media accounts for kids under 16

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed legislation Friday that would have banned children under 16 years old from holding social media accounts in the Sunshine State.

DeSantis, who had previously voiced concerns about the legislation, said in a statement that Florida lawmakers were “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,” he said. “I anticipate the new bill will recognize these priorities and will be signed into law soon.” 

The former Republican presidential candidate, who dropped out of the GOP primary race in late January, emphasized last week that Florida officials were looking to strike a “proper balance” between regulation and parental input on the issue. 

“I’ve always said I think social media is a net negative for kids,” DeSantis said, adding “I do think parents can supervise in ways, where it’s used in ways that can be beneficial.”

“I think you’ve got to strike that proper balance when you’re looking at these things, between policy that is helping parents get to where they want to go versus policy that is just outright overruling parents,” he explained.

Under amended legislation unveiled on Friday, 14- and 15-year-olds would be allowed to hold social media accounts with parental approval, Politico reported.

Florida House Speaker Paul Renner (R) touted the latest bill as empowering parents “to control what their children can access online” while also protecting them from “the harm caused by addictive social media platforms.”

“It introduces critical parental controls and enforces stronger penalties against social media companies that continue to disregard the well-being of children,” Renner said in a threat on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

“This legislation will equip our Attorney General and Florida parents with the necessary tools to hold them accountable,” he wrote.