Salzman Files Bill To Enhance Online Safety For Minors

February 28, 2025

Rep Michelle Salzman has filed a bill she says will strengthen protections for children and teenagers on social media platforms.

House Bill 743, titled “Social Media Use by Minors,” would require social media platforms to disable end-to-end encryption or other data encryption features that restrict the accessibility of messages for accounts held by minors under 16-years-old.

Salzman’s bill would also enable parents or legal guardians to view all messages sent and received by their minor children on these platforms and allow law enforcement to access messages relevant to felony criminal investigations involving minors.

The Escambia County Republican’s social media bill would also maintain existing requirements for social media platforms to terminate accounts of users under 14-years-old and to obtain parental consent for users aged 14 and 15.

“This legislation is a crucial step in our ongoing efforts to protect Florida’s youth from the potential dangers lurking in the digital world,” Salzman said. “By addressing message encryption, we’re empowering parents and law enforcement with the tools they need to ensure our children’s safety online.”

She said her bill builds upon an existing law that went in effect January 1 that bans social media accounts for Florida Children under 14 and requires parental permission for minors aged 14 or15.

Salzman said the proposed bill addressing growing concerns include Mental health issues linked to social media use, especially among young girls; the threat of online predators exploiting these platforms to communicate with minors; the need for increased parental oversight of children’s online activities; and concerns about harmful content hosted on social media platforms.

“As legislators, it’s our responsibility to adapt our laws to the rapidly changing digital landscape,” Salzman added. “HB 743 is part of a national trend to address the perceived harms to minors on social media services, and Florida continues to lead the way in protecting our youth.”

If the bill is passed and signed by the governor, it will take effect on July 1.

Comments

5 Responses to “Salzman Files Bill To Enhance Online Safety For Minors”

  1. David on March 3rd, 2025 12:16 pm

    @Scott Vancaster- doubtful, the app & websites will still use SSL encryption to transfer between the client and server. The messages just wont be stored in an encrypted form.

  2. Steve on March 1st, 2025 11:11 pm

    The way our government runs , somehow I feel like my taxes are going to the perps .

  3. Scott Vancaster on February 28th, 2025 12:49 pm

    Disabling end to end encryption also exposes them to hacking attempts and doesn’t seem to add to their safety. There should be other ways that can require social media companies provide parental access which would be easier and safer.

  4. Gerald on February 28th, 2025 12:37 pm

    @Eric
    What app was that? None of the ones i’ve looked at for my son let me see what they talk about on apps. Text messages yes, but not the encrypted things on Instagram & snapchat.

  5. Eric M on February 28th, 2025 8:31 am

    While i think its a good idea, parents nees to be proactive when it comes to their safety instead of relying on big brother.

    My oldest child is 26. When I got her a cell phone at 13, I installed an app that saved everything she did and seen on the phone, and I let her know what it was capable of. It saved her text messages, images she took, and every so many seconds, a screenshot of her phone. It was probably $10 a month and allowed me to remotely view everything it saved.

    Before anyone says it, if you can’t afford $10 a month to protect your kids, then you can’t afford a cell phone for them.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News