Kids Online

Are Florida’s child safety laws doing enough to protect our children online?

Published: 14 Jan 2025
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4 min. read

Florida recently passed a new bill, HB 3, aimed at protecting children online. The bill requires age verification for accessing harmful material and restricts children under 14 from joining social media without parental consent.

While the intention of the bill is noble, it’s clear that the measures may not be effective in practice. For instance, the age verification requirement has led to an increase in VPN usage to bypass the restrictions.

The VPN Dilemma

Many individuals are turning to VPNs to mask their location and access restricted content. This workaround undermines the purpose of the legislation, highlighting the need for more comprehensive measures.

While the bill aims to protect minors from harmful content, it falls short in addressing the loopholes that VPNs present. By focusing solely on content providers, the legislation may not fully achieve its intended goals.

VPN technology, while valuable for cybersecurity, can also be used to circumvent age restrictions. By leveraging VPNs, users can easily bypass the age verification wall, rendering the legislation ineffective.

A Call for Stronger Measures

Legislators must consider imposing restrictions on technologies like VPNs to enhance the effectiveness of the bill. Without addressing these loopholes, the legislation risks being merely symbolic rather than impactful.

If we are serious about safeguarding minors online, we need to rethink our approach and implement more robust measures to ensure their protection.