Starting in May, Meta plans to delete accounts belonging to minors under 14 in Florida, adhering to the state’s recent law aimed at protecting children online.
Florida’s Attorney General, James Usmeyer, shared this information on a recent episode of “Fox & Friends,” emphasizing the significant financial penalties that social media companies could face if they do not comply. Usmeyer mentioned that Noncompliance could lead to fines accumulating into billions of dollars.
“Meta has confirmed their commitment to our law as of early May,” Usmeyer stated during the broadcast.
The law, enacted in March, prohibits anyone under 14 from creating social media accounts, while individuals aged 15 or older must obtain parental consent. The legislation received bipartisan support and was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2024. It has faced legal challenges over the past two years but is now actively in effect.
Usmeyer noted that companies could incur fines of $50,000 per violation, which could rapidly increase if they fail to remove the illegal accounts. “We fought in court for the past few years, and we won, so it’s time to enforce compliance,” he remarked, suggesting that fines could escalate to “billions of dollars.”
State officials express concerns regarding the safety risks posed by social media to children, including online predators, rising suicide rates, and various mental health issues. These fears were foundational in prompting the legislation.
Usmeyer urged other platforms like Snapchat, Roblox, Discord, and TikTok to take similar proactive measures, pointing out that they already possess the necessary data and technology to verify user ages.
He emphasized, “They know that kids are struggling with these platforms. They know that predators are a threat. We encourage companies to work with us to ensure children’s safety.” Authorities anticipate that hundreds of thousands of accounts will be impacted when the deletions begin next month. Usmeyer expressed readiness to pursue significant penalties against any companies that do not adhere to the new regulations.
