Florida has become the first state in the country to ban social media accounts for most teenagers. The law, signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday, requires social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) to immediately delete any social media accounts from users who represent themselves as Florida residents and who are 14 or 15 years old. It also requires parental consent before social media platforms allow teens to use their services. Social media platforms that fail to remove accounts under the law could have to fork over $10,000 to minors, as well as $50,000 in legal fees per violation. Teens can still sign up At a press conference, DeSantis said the purpose of the bill wasn’t to “ban” minors from using social media — they can still sign up for an account if they have the explicit consent of their parents — but rather to limit the “very difficult terrain we have now with raising kids,” which he attributed to struggles caused by social media platforms. The measure is a less restrictive version of a bill considered by Florida lawmakers earlier in the year, which would have banned social media accounts for anyone under the age of 17. That version of the bill would have also required Florida residents to submit a photo ID to a social media platform before an account could be created. When will the law change? Image: KnowTechie The law — which doesn’t take effect until next January — is already…New Florida law bans some teens from having social media accounts