Florida has begun enforcing its social media age restriction law, with Meta starting to remove accounts belonging to users under 14 years old. The state is threatening technology companies with substantial financial penalties for violations of the legislation.

The Florida law imposes restrictions on social media platform access for minors, particularly those under 14 years of age. State officials have indicated they are prepared to levy fines that could reach into the billions of dollars against companies that fail to comply with the new requirements.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has reportedly begun the process of identifying and removing accounts that belong to users under the minimum age threshold established by the Florida statute. The company's compliance efforts come as the state has made clear its intention to aggressively enforce the new regulations.

The legislation represents part of a broader national discussion about protecting minors online and regulating social media companies' practices regarding underage users. Florida joins other states that have enacted or are considering similar measures to restrict minors' access to social media platforms.

The enforcement actions are expected to face legal challenges, as technology companies and advocacy groups have previously contested similar age verification and content restriction laws in other jurisdictions. The financial penalties outlined in the Florida law represent some of the steepest proposed fines for social media regulation violations.