Appeals Court Lets Florida Enforce Its Under-14 Social Media Ban, Renewing Debate Among Parents
On October 14, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled unanimously that Florida may enforce HB3, its 2024 law barring children under 14 from opening accounts on social media platforms that use so-called addictive features, and requiring parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. The ruling vacated a lower court's preliminary injunction. According to Reuters, the decision has renewed debate among parents over one of the nation's strictest laws on minors and social media.
HB3, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in March 2024, targets platforms with features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, push notifications and like counts, including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. In a 47-page opinion, Judge Kevin Newsom wrote that the law regulates platform features rather than the topics or viewpoints discussed online, and that protecting minors from social media addiction and related harms is an important state interest. The court noted that children may still view platform content without an account.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association, one of the trade groups that sued, called the ruling "deeply concerning" in a statement. Paul Taske of the NetChoice Litigation Center said the group is evaluating all of its options and that parents, not government, should remain in the driver's seat for their families. Mashable reported that the platforms have about a month to come into compliance. Florida's attorney general's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Compiled from Reuters, the Tallahassee Democrat and Mashable, October 14)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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