No access under 14

Florida raises minimum age for online networks

In the US state of Florida, access to online platforms will be made more difficult for minors in future. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law passed by the regional parliament on Monday that prohibits minors under the age of 14 from opening their own accounts on online networks. 14- and 15-year-olds need their parents' consent to open such accounts.

Most platforms stipulate that users must be at least 13 years old. However, they do little to check this. 

"Social media harms children in different ways," explained DeSantis, who belongs to the conservative Republican Party. The new law gives parents greater opportunities to "protect their children".

Opponents of the law describe it as an attack on the fundamental right of freedom of speech. DeSantis had blocked a previous version of the bill, which was much stricter, with his veto. This version would have banned all minors under the age of 16 from accessing online platforms.