With Governor Ron DeSantis signing into law the new social media restrictions for minors in Florida, a significant shift in how social media companies operate within the state is imminent. This groundbreaking law, effective from January 1st, prohibits children under the age of 14 from creating social media accounts and requires parental permission for those aged 14 and 15. This move, aimed at protecting the mental health and privacy of young Floridians, sets the stage for an intensified focus on age assurance technologies.
Age assurance, as outlined in a comprehensive overview by the Future of Privacy Forum, encompasses a range of methods designed to ascertain the age or age range of individuals online. These technologies range from simple age gates, where users enter their birthdates, to more sophisticated systems like facial characterization for age estimation and biometric plus government ID matching for age verification.