Florida

Rising Star

Florida at a glance

Florida has passed a reasonable childhood independence law, protecting families from unreasonable charges of neglect.
Florida’s attorney general is actively holding tech companies accountable.
Florida mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools for grades K–8.
Florida mandates a minimum age of 14 for social media accounts.
Florida has not yet passed major laws that regulate harmful tech design or hold companies liable.

Areas of Opportunity

Expanding the statewide phone policy to require bell-to-bell restrictions for grades 9–12 will bring focused learning and real connection back to Florida’s high schools.
Raising the social media minimum age to 16 with no parental consent loophole will better protect Florida kids from the negative effects of social media.
Enacting laws that address harmful social media design and AI safety will protect Florida’s kids from manipulative technology.
Creating legal pathways for parents to sue tech companies for harms to minors will hold them accountable and incentivize safer product design.

These opportunities are within reach for your home state. Download our policy menu, reach out to us, and reclaim childhood in Florida.

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Dive Deeper

Childhood Development Policies

Is the state helping to solve the collective action problems families face by adopting policies that support a healthier real-world childhood?

Distraction-Free Schools
Florida law mandates bell-to-bell phone-free schools for grades K–8 only, and does not require inaccessible storage. View the state’s Phone-Free Schools Report Card.
Childhood Independence
Florida amended its criminal and neglect laws in 2025 to support childhood independence, protecting families from unreasonable charges of neglect. Florida’s neglect law now provides “tight protections for independent activities” and includes a strict definition of neglect. Protected activities under the neglect law “are protected from criminal prosecution too,” according to Let Grow.

Political Leadership

Is the governor championing kids' safety, and is the Office of the Attorney General using its power to hold big tech accountable?

Governor Leadership
Governor DeSantis was an advocate for, and signed, state policies that protect kids from harmful technologies, though he vetoed an early version of HB 3. DeSantis also introduced a proposal for an AI Bill of Rights in December 2025 that includes protections for children, though it has not yet been passed.
Attorney General Leadership
Florida’s attorney general filed a lawsuit against Meta for harming kids. Florida has also signed the AI Child Safety Letter and the AI Chatbot Safety Letter.

Tech Policies

What is the state doing to address harmful tech and hold companies accountable?

Social Media Age Limits
Florida’s Law HB 3 mandates a minimum age of 14 for social media accounts, and requires platforms to implement age verification. For users ages 14–15, platforms are required to obtain parental consent. The law also requires age verification for accessing pornographic websites. Florida’s law has survived initial court challenges and has gone into effect.
The law has a parental consent loophole for those ages 14-15, leaving the collective action problem for families unresolved.
Harmful Design Regulation
Florida's approach has focused on regulating harmful content instead of addressing harmful design.
Tech Accountability
Florida's social media law (HB 3) authorizes punitive damages when platforms repeatedly and recklessly violate the law.
Incentivizing Safer Tech
Nebraska has not yet enacted any significant laws in this area.

Family Perceptions

What do parents in the state say about their children's tech use, opportunities for independence, and real-life interactions?

IFS Resilient Childhood Score
Low. Florida parents report that their kids experience:
- Low levels of independent, unsupervised activity
- Minimal time spent playing outside and socializing with friends
- High screen time, device ownership, and tech use

This page was last updated on March 4, 2026. The Childhood Index highlights key policies and actions and is not intended to be a comprehensive list. If there’s something you think we missed or should consider, we welcome your feedback.

Geographic Neighbors