Can minors have social media in Florida? What to know about new law coming Jan. 1

As of Jan. 1, 2025, it will be illegal in Florida for children under 14 to have social media accounts.

s of Jan. 1, 2025, it will be illegal in Florida for children under 14 to have social media accounts.

Children ages 14 and 15 will be able to, but only with parental or guardian approval. Social media platforms will be required to terminate existing accounts suspected to belong to children under 14, with a 90-day window for appeals.

While the law goes into effect on the first of January, it has already been challenged on First Amendment grounds. Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office announced last month that the state would not be enforcing the law on major social media platforms until the court rules on a motion for preliminary injunction. A hearing will be held in late February.

The part of the law requiring websites with "materials harmful to minors" visible to Floridians to use age verification systems will still go into effect.

While there's no way to know how this will shake out, here's what will happen if the law is allowed to stay in place.

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What does Florida's HB 3 social media ban do?

HB 3, Online Protections for Minors, would:

Prohibit any child under 14 years of age from creating or possessing an account on a social media platform, as defined in the law. Continue Reading....