(NewsNation) — A computer advocacy group has filed a lawsuit against a Florida law blocking some of the state’s teens from accessing certain social media platforms.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (Meta, X and Google are members) and co-defendant Netchoice are seeking injunctive relief against the law, which is one of the nation’s most restrictive bans.
The law, which was approved as HB 3 earlier this year, will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. The measure will ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.
It would ban social media formats based on “addictive features” such as infinite scroll, push alerts and auto-play videos rather than the site’s actual content.
“But by that metric, the state could restrict access to the most popular segments of nearly any medium for constitutionally protected speech, be it enticing video games, page-turning novels, or binge-worthy TV shows,” the lawsuit reads.
The computer lobbying group alleges the bill is “the latest attempt in a long line of government efforts to restrict new forms of constitutionally protected expression based on concerns about their potential effects on minors.”
The suit points out that many young teens use social media to get information and discuss worldviews, calling the ban a cap on “access to valuable sources for speaking and listening, learning about current events.”
Other social media bans for minors
Several states have considered similar legislation. In Arkansas, a federal judge in August blocked enforcement of a law that required parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.
In 2023, Utah banned those under 18 from using social media without parental permission. It was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in September 2024, mere days before it would’ve taken effect.
NewsNation’s Brooke Shafer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
