Florida attorney general proposes bill limiting social media and AI features for teens

Uthmeier proposed the Safe Screens Act on Thursday, days after a judge rejected Florida’s request for an order requiring Meta Platforms to change Instagram and Facebook for teens. The proposal would require app stores to verify users’ ages and social media platforms to impose two-hour time limits for teens and remove features such as infinite scroll and autoplay unless parents enable them.

The act would also bar AI chatbots from simulating companionship with minors and sharing content about self-harm and suicide, among other changes. Florida is suing Meta and OpenAI over claims their platforms were designed to be addictive to children; the judge overseeing the OpenAI case has not yet ruled.