October 22, 2026 — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday proposed the Safe Screens Act, a bill that would require app stores to verify users’ ages, cap teens’ social media use at two hours a day, and bar AI chatbots from simulating companionship with minors. Why it matters: Florida is already suing Meta and OpenAI over claims their products are addictive to children — this proposal tries to write the changes a judge just declined to order into state law instead.
What happened
Uthmeier unveiled the proposal at Polk State College, alongside Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, state lawmakers and parents. The timing is pointed: on Sunday, the judge overseeing Florida’s case against Meta rejected the state’s request for a court order forcing the company to overhaul Instagram and Facebook for teens, saying it was not appropriate to order major changes at the start of the case. A parallel request in Florida’s case against OpenAI has not yet been ruled on. The Safe Screens Act would need to be introduced by a legislator, and Uthmeier said his office will publish the full proposals and work with the Legislature in the coming session.
What the Safe Screens Act would require
- App stores verify age: The Apple App Store, Google Play and other marketplaces would have to verify users’ ages, and minors could not download age-restricted apps without explicit parental consent.
- Hard limits for teens: Social media accounts for minors would face a two-hour daily cap (60 hours a month), a nightly “quiet mode” from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and addictive features such as infinite scroll and autoplay turned off unless parents enable them.
- Rules for AI chatbots: Chatbots would be barred from simulating companionship with minors and from sharing content about self-harm and suicide. Uthmeier said the threat now spans beyond social media to gaming platforms and AI chatbots.
The backdrop: Florida is already in court with Big Tech
Florida is suing both Meta and OpenAI, claiming the companies designed their platforms to be addictive to children, and Uthmeier recently declined to join a multistate settlement with Meta that a majority of states accepted, pledging to continue Florida’s own lawsuit. The state already has a law barring children under 14 from social media and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds — a law a US appeals court just upheld. On app-store age checks, Florida would be following Utah, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, which have all signed App Store Accountability Acts; Texas’s law is in effect after the US Supreme Court declined to block it in July, and Alabama’s takes effect January 1, 2027. A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Why it matters
For anyone building or buying AI products, the chatbot provisions are the part to watch. “Simulating companionship” is aimed squarely at the design choice — a friendly, always-available persona — that makes companion-style chatbots popular with teens, and Florida is proposing to ban that design for minors outright rather than rely on parental controls added by the companies themselves. If a version of this passes, chatbot makers would need real age gates and different behavior for under-18 users in Florida, on top of app-store-level verification. It is still only a proposal, and the court cases will move faster than the Legislature — but Florida has a recent record of getting these bills signed and defended, which is why this one is worth taking seriously.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Safe Screens Act?
A legislative proposal unveiled October 22, 2026 by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. It covers app stores, social media platforms, gaming platforms and AI chatbots, and still needs a legislator to introduce it.
What would it do to AI chatbots?
It would bar AI chatbots from simulating companionship with minors and from sharing content about self-harm and suicide with them.
What are the social media limits?
Two hours a day and 60 hours a month for minors, a nightly quiet mode from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and features like infinite scroll and autoplay off by default unless parents turn them on.
Is the Safe Screens Act law yet?
No. It is a proposal. Florida’s existing law barring social media accounts for children under 14 is already in effect and was just upheld on appeal.
Sources: Reuters; The Floridian Press