New laws hitting Florida's books when the clocks strike midnight

New year, new laws

FOX 13's Jordan Bowen reports on new laws that will officially hit the books in Florida when the clock strikes 2025, including new social media laws and laws regarding how Floridians can interact with first responders.

TAMPA, Fla. - Beginning January 1st, several new laws are taking effect in Florida, including a teen social media ban and new penalties for interfering with first responders.

In Florida, on January 1st, anyone under 14 will be prohibited from creating social media accounts. Kids aged 14 and 15 will need parental consent.

Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat logos.

"You have predators who can get right in there, into your own home. You can be doing everything right, but they know how to manipulate these different platforms," Governor Ron DeSantis said.

READ: New Florida laws take effect Jan. 1: Here’s what to know

DeSantis signed HB 3 into law back in March. Under the new law, no parent or child is legally responsible, putting the sole burden on companies to follow the law.

"These social media platforms are now liable for between $10,000 and $50,000 per violation if a child is on that website and the parental consent is inaccurate or if it's a 13-year-old or someone under the age of 13 who is still on that website," Attorney Anthony Rickman said.

So, how will companies know the age of the users they claim to be? Facebook's current age verification process may give a peek at what it could look like.

Guidelines to verify age on Facebook as of January 1st, 2025, in Florida.

According to Facebook, users can verify their age by uploading a photo of their ID or taking a selfie video. This is then sent to a third-party company called Yoti, which uses Artificial Intelligence to determine how old someone is by looking at facial features.

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The Computer & Communications Industry Association, representing some big tech companies, sued the state earlier this month, claiming the law violated the First Amendment.

They're asking for a judge to issue an injunction to keep the law from taking effect, but no ruling has been made yet.

Photos of the lawsuit filed against new Florida social media laws.

Also, there are new 2025 penalties for Floridians who interfere with first responders.

HB 184, known as the "Halo law," creates a 25-foot buffer zone for first responders. People who violate the zone or threaten, harass, or prevent a first responder from performing their duty can result in a second-degree misdemeanor.

"It's going to be situational, so if you're told to get back, and you're within 25 feet, you would have to get back outside 25 feet. But it's going to be a case-by-case scenario. I think a lot of people are concerned that anybody with a video camera, I'm just going to be under arrest, and that's just not the case," Tampa Police Benevolent Association President Brandon Barclay said.

Police in Ybor City.

WATCH: New January laws: Protecting first responders

Also, in 2025, local governments will be forced to speed up the building permitting process. HB 267 will make it, so cities must approve or deny most permits within 30 business days for buildings up to 7,500 square feet, and 60 business days for larger structures must be shorter than the previous 120 days.

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