Tech groups sue over Florida social media ban for some minors

(NewsNation) — A computer rights group has filed a lawsuit against a Florida law that blocks certain teenagers in the state from accessing certain social media platforms.

The Computer and Communications Industry Association (Meta, X and Google are members) and a co-defendant Netchoice are seeking an injunction against the law, which is one of the most restrictive in the country.

The law, which was approved as HB 3 at the beginning of this year, will enter into force on January 1, 2025. The measure would ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.

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It would ban social media formats based on “addictive features” such as endless scrolling, push notifications and autoplay videos, rather than the actual content of the site.

“But under that metric, the state can restrict access to the most popular segments of almost any medium for constitutionally protected speech, whether it’s engaging video games, page-turning novels, or binge-worthy television shows,” the lawsuit says.

A computer lobby group says the bill is “the latest in a long line of government efforts to limit new forms of constitutionally protected expression based on concerns about their potential impact on minors.”

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The lawsuit notes that many young teens use social media to get information and discuss world views, calling the ban a restriction on “access to valuable sources for talking and listening, learning about current events.”

Other prohibitions of social networks for minors

Several states have considered similar legislation. In Arkansas a a federal judge blocked enforcement in August law that required parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.

In 2023, Utah prohibited to persons under 18 years of age from using social networks without parental permission. It was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in September 2024, just a few days before it goes into effect.

NewsNation’s Brooke Shafer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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