TALLAHASSEE, FL – Today, the Florida Legislature passed House Bill 3 (HB 3), a broad censorship bill aimed at stifling freedom of expression online by requiring all users, including adults, to verify their age by providing age verification documentation before using existing social media accounts or creating new ones.
Similar provisions had previously been part of HB 1, which was vetoed by Gov. DeSantis, and related provisions were amended into HB 3.The bill next heads to the governor for his signature.
Kara Gross, legislative director of the ACLU of Florida, responded with the following:
“The internet, including social media platforms, contains vast amounts of constitutionally protected speech for both adults and minors. Blanket bans infringe upon our constitutional rights.
“The age-verification requirements in HB 3 place barriers between users, whether they’re adults or minors, and their constitutional right to speak online. Age verification requirements blatantly chill the speech and threaten the privacy of adults by requiring them to surrender their anonymity to engage in constitutionally protected speech.
“The Constitution is clear. Lawmakers cannot control what ideas and information parents can allow their families to access. This is government overreach.
“The last thing that our state needs is more censorship. It is both unconstitutional and unnecessary. With the rising costs of living in the state, families are facing real hardships. Yet Florida lawmakers continue to fail to address the issues that are impacting the ability to live and thrive in this state. Instead, they have sought to advance government censorship to online platforms.
“We urge the governor to veto this bill and focus on the real issues facing Floridians.”
