Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a blanket ban on social media for youth under the age of 16, stepping into a legal dispute over the impact of online media platforms on children, CNN reported.
DeSantis signaled a possible veto last week, saying the proposal approved by the state Legislature needed improvement.
However, the Republican governor said lawmakers are working on a new proposal that addresses privacy and parental rights concerns.
"Protecting children from the harms associated with social media is important, as is supporting the rights of parents and preserving the ability of adults to engage in anonymous speech," DeSantis wrote in X.
"I expect that the new bill will recognize these priorities and will be signed soon," he added.
The original text required platforms to prohibit youth under the age of 16 from having accounts.
The legislation was intended to protect children's mental health from the "addictive features" of these platforms, amid concerns about sexual predators, cyberbullying and teen suicides.
Most social networks already have a minimum age of 13 to open an account, but in practice almost nothing is done to ensure compliance.
Opponents of the bill said parents, not authorities, should control minors' use of social media.
The governor, who ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign and dropped it in January, has repeatedly said parents should have more control over decisions affecting their children, especially in education.
Under DeSantis, Florida passed laws to limit the teaching of sexuality education and gender identity in schools and to eliminate diversity programs at state-funded universities.
In recent months, dozens of books deemed inappropriate for children by conservative parents and school boards have been removed from school library shelves across the state.
Some critics argued that the bill, which DeSantis vetoed, would violate the First Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees free speech.
DeSantis himself warned in January that similar bills in other states have been blocked in the courts. /BGNES
