Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association has filed comments ahead of a Florida hearing on its proposed bill, HB 1, which would require age verification for online users.
CCIA supports enhanced privacy protections for children and teens online but has concerns that certain approaches could create additional data collection requirements that conflict with other data minimization principles. HB 1 risks adopting similar provisions that have faced legal challenges in other jurisdictions, due to concerns with infringing upon teens’ First Amendment right to access information. This bill risks cutting off users from supportive communities, such as for those who reside in unsafe home environments and generally would restrict access to open information online.
The following can be attributed to CCIA State Policy Director Khara Boender:
“We share the goal of protecting younger users online and support previous legislative efforts aimed at online literacy to educate users about the tools, features, and settings available to protect privacy, tailor online experiences, and avoid scams. Unfortunately, despite the well-intentioned goals, Florida’s age verification legislation puts younger users’ privacy at risk as companies would need to collect additional personal data on internet users to comply with the law.”