Florida filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc., the parent company of the popular photo-sharing app Snapchat, accusing it of using features that contribute to children’s addiction and allowing accounts for children aged 13 and younger.
The lawsuit, announced by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, claims that Snapchat’s features, such as infinite scrolling, push notifications, auto-play videos, and user metrics, violate a 2024 state law aimed at protecting children’s mental health from excessive social media exposure.
The complaint argues that Snap’s conduct is “particularly egregious” because Snapchat is marketed as safe for 13-year-olds, despite allowing access to harmful content such as pornography and illegal activities like drug sales. The lawsuit alleges that by failing to remove users under the age of 13 and not requiring parental consent for users aged 14 and 15, Snap is misleading Florida parents about the risks of allowing their children to use the platform.
The lawsuit was filed in Santa Rosa County, in the state’s Panhandle region, and is part of Florida’s broader effort to regulate social media platforms in the interest of protecting young users. Both Uthmeier and Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed the 2024 law, are Republicans.
In response, Snap said that Florida’s law infringes on both the First Amendment rights of adults and children. The company also pointed to alternatives for online safety and age verification available at the operating system, app store, and device level.
Additionally, two technology trade groups, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, are challenging the constitutionality of the Florida law in federal court in Tallahassee. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for social media companies and their compliance with state-level regulations.
