佛羅裡達州的社群媒體禁令：保護兒童還是扼殺言論自由？

佛羅裡達州的新法律禁止 14 歲以下兒童使用社群媒體，並要求 14 歲和 15 歲兒童徵得父母同意，旨在保護他們的心理健康免受潛在的網路風險。該立法要求平台在未經父母同意的情況下終止 14 歲以下和 16 歲以下的帳戶，並實施第三方驗證系統來篩選未成年用戶。

Does Social Media Ban Protect Kids or Stifle Free Speech?

社群媒體禁令是保護兒童還是扼殺言論自由？

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has inked a law that bans kids under 14 from social media platforms and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. The goal? To shield them from the potential mental health hazards lurking online.

佛羅裡達州州長 Ron DeSantis 簽署了一項法律，禁止 14 歲以下的兒童使用社群媒體平台，並要求 14 歲和 15 歲的兒童獲得父母的同意。目標？保護他們免受網路潛伏的潛在心理健康危害。

The legislation forces social media giants to boot users under 14 and those under 16 without parental consent. They're also mandated to employ third-party verification systems to screen for underage users. Initially, the bill aimed to ban social media for children under 16 altogether, but it was tweaked to allow parental consent for older kids.

該立法迫使社群媒體巨頭在未經父母同意的情況下引導 14 歲以下和 16 歲以下的用戶。他們還被要求使用第三方驗證系統來篩選未成年用戶。最初，該法案旨在完全禁止 16 歲以下兒童使用社群媒體，但後來進行了調整，允許年齡較大的孩子獲得父母的同意。

DeSantis's Dilemma: Social Media Scourge or Parental Prerogative?

德桑蒂斯的困境：社群媒體禍害還是家長特權？

DeSantis argues that social media has a detrimental impact on young minds, and this law empowers parents to shield their kids from its negative effects. Proponents echo this, claiming that excessive social media use can trigger anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues in children.

德桑蒂斯認為，社群媒體對年輕人的思想產生有害影響，這項法律賦予父母保護孩子免受其負面影響的權利。支持者對此表示贊同，聲稱過度使用社群媒體會引發兒童焦慮、憂鬱和其他心理健康問題。

But detractors counter that the law infringes on the First Amendment's free speech protections. They maintain that decisions about children's online presence should rest with parents, not the government. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, vehemently opposed the legislation, arguing that it curtails parental discretion and raises data privacy concerns.

但批評者反駁說，該法律侵犯了第一修正案對言論自由的保護。他們堅持認為，有關兒童上網的決定應由家長而非政府決定。 Instagram 和 Facebook 的母公司 Meta 強烈反對這項立法，認為它限制了家長的自由裁量權並引發了資料隱私問題。

Target: Social Media's Addictive Features

目標：社群媒體的令人上癮的功能

While the bill doesn't single out specific social media platforms, it takes aim at those that employ features like infinite scrolling, likes, auto-play videos, live streaming, and push notifications. Platforms primarily used for email, messaging, or texting between specific individuals are exempt.

雖然該法案沒有單獨列出特定的社群媒體平台，但它針對的是那些採用無限滾動、按讚、自動播放影片、直播和推播通知等功能的社群媒體平台。主要用於特定個人之間發送電子郵件、訊息或簡訊的平台不受此限制。

Social media companies must purge personal data from terminated accounts and face potential civil lawsuits if they fail to comply. In March 2023, Utah blazed the trail in regulating children's social media access, with Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, and Texas following suit. Other states are mulling similar measures.

社群媒體公司必須清除已終止帳戶中的個人數據，如果不遵守規定，將面臨潛在的民事訴訟。 2023 年 3 月，猶他州率先規範兒童社交媒體訪問，阿肯色州、路易斯安那州、俄亥俄州和德克薩斯州緊隨其後。其他州正在考慮採取類似措施。

Balancing Act: Child Protection vs. Free Speech

平衡法：兒童保護與言論自由

Florida's new law treads the delicate line between protecting children from potential online harms and preserving free speech. While supporters applaud it as a tool to address mental health concerns stemming from excessive social media use, critics fear it may stifle parental rights and violate free speech protections.

佛羅裡達州的新法律在保護兒童免受潛在的網路傷害和維護言論自由之間劃定了微妙的界線。雖然支持者稱讚它是解決因過度使用社交媒體而產生的心理健康問題的工具，但批評者擔心它可能會扼殺父母權利並違反言論自由保護。

The bill also imposes obligations on social media platforms to safeguard user privacy and empowers parents to hold them accountable through civil lawsuits. As other states contemplate similar regulations, the debate over the balance between child protection and free speech is set to continue.

該法案還規定社群媒體平台有義務保護使用者隱私，並授權家長透過民事訴訟追究其責任。隨著其他州考慮類似的法規，有關兒童保護和言論自由之間平衡的爭論將繼續下去。