Lawmakers discuss possible changes to Florida bill to ban anyone under 16 from social media

ORLANDO, Fla. — The state Senate is set to continue discussing a bill Wednesday that would ban people under the age of 16 in Florida from using social media.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Some state lawmakers are now proposing changes to the bill.

One senator filed an amendment Tuesday that would require social media platforms to offer anonymous age-verification methods or what they call “standard” age-verification methods.

If both methods are offered, potential users would be able to choose the method when they sign up for platforms like TikTok or Facebook.

Read: Florida Senators back revised social media bill

The Florida Senate has revamped a proposal aimed at keeping children off social media.

After the proposed changes, the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee approved the bill, which is a priority of House Speaker Paul Renner.

Watch: Daughter claims elderly mom taken for $600,000 in romance scam

The bill would prevent anyone under 16 from creating social media accounts and would require social media platforms to terminate existing accounts that are “reasonably known” by the platforms to be held by minors.

The House overwhelmingly passed the bill last month.

Watch: Social media ban bill flies past another hurdle as its legality is questioned

Supporters of the bill describe social media as harmful to children’s mental health.

Opponents of the bill feel the legislation may not be constitutional.

See more in the video above.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group