Florida Proposes Age Checks for Apps, Social Media and AI Chatbots

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has proposed legislation that would require age checks and parental consent for minors downloading apps, introduce new restrictions on teen social media accounts, and prohibit certain AI chatbot features for users under 18.

Announced on October 22, the proposed Safe Screens Act would require app stores to determine users’ ages, link minors’ accounts to a parent’s account, and obtain parental consent before allowing them to download or purchase apps. AI chatbot operators would also have to determine users’ ages, while operating systems would apply age-based restrictions at the device level. The proposal calls for commercially reasonable methods that protect users’ privacy.

For social media users aged 14 to 17, the proposal would introduce default restrictions on platform features. These include limits of two hours of use per day and 60 hours per month, overnight and school-hour quiet periods, and disabling autoplay and infinite scroll by default. Platforms would also have to hide like and reaction counts unless a verified parent enables them.

The bill would also restrict AI chatbots from providing minors with features that simulate companionship, generate sexually explicit content, encourage self-harm or other harmful activities, or present the chatbot as a real person. It would also prohibit features that encourage isolation or discourage minors from seeking help from trusted adults.

Florida law could treat knowing or reckless violations as unfair practices, with civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation. The proposal has not yet become law. If enacted, it would expand the state’s existing restrictions on social media accounts for children under 14.