Florida Attorney General James Usmieyer has launched legal action against SnapChat’s parent company, Snap Inc., alleging violations of the 2024 state law designed to protect minors from addictive social media practices. The lawsuit filed in Santa Rosa County Circuit Court argues that Snapchat features (including endless scrolling, autoplay videos, push notifications, disappearing messages, etc.) are intentionally designed to attract young users and thereby undermine mental health.
The provisions of House Bill 3 (HB 3) prohibit children under the age of 14 from creating social media accounts, but children aged 14 and 15 require parental consent. The complaint alleges that Snapchat was unable to enforce these age restrictions, allowing minor users to access the platform without proper verification or parental approval. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that Snapchat exposes minors, including pornographic and drug-related material, to harmful content, and promotes interaction with adult strangers through features such as “Find Friends.”
Snap Inc. defends its practice, claiming that HB 3 violates both adults and minors’ rights to fix. The company advocates alternative approaches to online safety and age verification, suggesting solutions at the operating system, app store, or device level. This legal dispute unfolds within a broader challenge for the constitutionality of HB 3, as industry groups such as NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association challenge federal court laws.
The lawsuit seeks a penalty of up to $50,000 for each violation and a court order enforcing SNAP Inc. to comply with state regulations. Attorney General Uthmeier has indicated that additional enforcement actions against other social media platforms could continue.
