Soon, kids under 14 years old will be barred from having social media accounts in Florida, according to reporting from the Miami Herald.
Starting Jan. 1, all platforms with adult content, or “material that is harmful to minors,” on their sites will be compelled to verify whether users are 18 years old or older. The platforms are expected to do this via third-party age verification on new accounts. The bill does not consider sites used exclusively for email or direct messaging limited to sender and recipients as social media.
Children under 14 with accounts will see their profiles shut down and those between 14 and 15 years old will be able to have accounts only if they have permission from a parent or guardian. If an account is suspected of belonging to someone who is under 14 years of age but doesn’t, there will be a 90-day appeal window.
These new regulations won’t be enforced until late February when the court is expected to rule on a motion for preliminary injunction in an ongoing court battle over the First Amendment and data privacy involving NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association.
Online Predators Target Children
With the advent of the internet in recent years, people from all over the world are able to communicate at any time, within seconds. While this innovation has been beneficial for the spread of information and keeping in touch with friends and family who are far away, it has also made children more vulnerable to predators.
The Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center estimates that there are about 500,000 predators active online every day. At least one in four children has been exposed to inappropriate content online, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In a 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, data shows that nearly 95% of minors from 13 to 17 years old are on social media.
Leesfield & Partners: Advocating for the Most Vulnerable
With nearly 50 years of experience in personal injury law across Florida, the attorneys at Leesfield & Partners have honed innovative legal strategies and earned a strong reputation as passionate advocates for victims, relentlessly fighting for the rights of their injured clients. In that time, the firm has built a reputation for handling the most complex cases with attorneys who are committed to providing exceptional legal representation guided by award-winning and board-certified personal injury attorney, Ira H. Leesfield.
Leesfield & Partners’ deep knowledge of personal injury law, combined with a passion for justice, ensures that injured clients and grieving family members receive the best possible outcomes in their personal injury cases. The firm has earned numerous accolades for its success in securing compensation for victims of accidents, negligence, and abuse, all while maintaining a client-centered approach that prioritizes the needs of clients, community and co-counsel.
The firm’s practice areas cover a wide range of personal injury claims, including negligent security, cruise ship and maritime litigation, and premises liability. Whether dealing with an injury caused by inadequate security at a public or private property or handling a maritime claim for an accident on the high seas, Leesfield & Partners has the experience to navigate the complexities of these specialized cases.
Attorneys at the firm are experts within the practice area of sexual assault and abuse, obtaining multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts for victims and survivors. In decades of representing these individuals, Leesfield & Partners attorneys understand the sensitive nature of these cases and approach each one with the compassion and professionalism it deserves while also tirelessly working to hold predators, and the entities who negligently failed to intervene, accountable. By combining legal expertise with a deep commitment to protecting survivors’ rights, the firm aim to ensure that these victims are not only compensated but also supported through the healing process.
Previous Cases
Recently, Leesfield & Partners secured a confidential settlement amount on behalf of four victims of sexual abuse at the hands of a school and church official meant to protect and guide them. The four victims in that case came forward as adults, the scars of the ordeal still weighing heavily on their day-to-day lives. Though no amount of monetary compensation is enough to erase the damage that has been done, the recognition of their pain has brought justice that will, hopefully, help them to heal from what they have endured.
That case was handled by Mr. Leesfield and Carlos A. Fabano, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Lawyer.
Recently, Leesfield & Partners filed a lawsuit against a well-known cruise line after one of its employees planted hidden cameras within the private stateroom bathrooms of passengers, including those of children. Our client is mentally scarred from the violation and has suffered tremendously from this incident.
That case, which is ongoing, is being handled by Bernardo Pimentel II.
The firm previously represented a young man who was sexually assaulted under the negligent supervision of a Florida youth center. Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured a six-figure recovery in that case.
Leesfield & Partners also obtained a $1,136,000 recovery amount in an inadequate security case that involved rape.
In another terrifying rape case that occurred at a mall, the firm secured $1,130,000 for the victim.
A young housekeeper working to clean rooms at a Key West hotel was represented by Leesfield & Partners after she was brutally raped. The attacker in this case was not a guest and was allowed to roam the property freely without being questioned. Due to the negligent security on duty at the time of the incident, this man was allowed to sleep by the hotel pool and smoke crack on the property where he later stumbled into a room being cleaned by our client.
A $1 million settlement was reached just before trial by Leesfield & Partners attorneys.
A confidential settlement was reached in a case involving an unaccompanied minor and an airline who failed to ensure the child’s safety. An airline passenger was able to target the child, who he sexually abused.
Leesfield & Partners previously represented a minor who was sexually abused by a camp counselor of a well-known overnight camp. Camp officials in that case ignored the blatant warning signs of abuse, failing the child they were tasked with protecting.
An $8.6 million recovery was obtained for the child in that case.
Safety Tips
- Teach your children about online safety. If they are going to be online, they must know certain ground rules to keep themselves safe while gaming, chatting and watching videos online. Don’t hesitate to talk openly with your children about their safety and online activity. Warn them about who to interact with, keeping a careful eye on what websites or apps they use.
- Be aware of what social media platforms, gaming websites and other forms of communication your child may be using.
- Monitor privacy and location settings on each platform to ensure personal information is protected. Explicitly warn children that they should never speak to strangers online or reveal private information such as where they go to school or live.
- Know the username and profile details of their online contacts and connect with the parents of those contacts.
- Always keep online profiles private and enable parental controls to monitor the content your children may be viewing.
- Keep devices in common areas where you can easily monitor what your children are doing online.