00:00Florida has decided that social media is for grown-ups only.
00:04On Monday, the state's governor, Ron DeSantis, signed the bill HB3,
00:07which prohibits children under 14 from holding social media accounts
00:11and requires parental consent for accounts run by 14- and 15-year-olds.
00:15Being buried in those devices all day is not the best way to grow up.
00:20It's not the best way to get a good education.
00:22In a news release, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner said,
00:25the internet has become a dark alley for our children, where predators target them
00:29and dangerous social media leads to higher rates of depression, self-harm, and even suicide.
00:34Florida leads the way in protecting children online.
00:37The bill will also require age verification for pornographic or sexually explicit websites.
00:42And it's not without its critics.
00:44NetChoice LLC, a trade association composed of internet-based businesses like Google, Meta, and TikTok,
00:49has called the law unconstitutional.
00:51NBC News reports that the law is set to take effect in January of 2025,
00:56and legal challenges may be forthcoming.
00:58So if you're a Floridian child, better get your memes in now.
