Florida Today
By Douglas Soule
March 1, 2024
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday vetoed legislation that would have banned social media for minors younger than 16 and required age verification to access pornographic websites.
But both he and lawmakers promised “a different, superior bill” that he would approve.
DeSantis said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “protecting children from harms associated with social media is important, as is supporting parents’ rights and maintaining the ability of adults to engage in anonymous speech. I anticipate the new bill will recognize these priorities and will be signed into law soon.”
The governor has been negotiating with House Speaker Paul Renner in recent days and lawmakers are already pushing forward another proposal with a big concession to DeSantis’ parental rights concerns.
During a Friday afternoon press conference, Renner said the bill was a “product of compromise” and “even better” than the vetoed one.