On Monday, the two tech industry groups filed a 48-page lawsuit challenging House Bill 3 which aims to keep children off social media.
The groups, Net Choice and Computer & Communications Industry Association, represent Meta, Google, 'X' and other social media agencies.
The controversial bill was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March of this year and requires social media platforms to prohibit children under 14 from creating new accounts, and those who are 14-15 years old must have parental permission to open an account.
It’s a law that parents like Angel Grant agree with.
“Is (social media) actually helping or is it hurting our kids because, as far as I can see, it's hurting,” stated Grant. "With my son, I do YouTube for learning Spanish and learning math and stuff, but in actuality, kids that are under 13 are not doing that on social media.”
Other parents argue against DeSantis’ law.
“He talks all about parental rights, and yet when it comes to giving parents rights, to decide whether or not their kids are on social media and what they are doing on social media, he decides that the government should decide that," parent Laura Lippo said. "It's upsetting."
In the lawsuit filed against Attorney General Ashley Moody, the groups argue HB 3 violates the First Amendment.
NetChoice has filed at least eight lawsuits in other states claiming the law violates first amendment rights.
Attorney General Moody's office responded saying:
“We are reviewing the lawsuit; However, as a mother, Attorney General Moody will fight aggressively in court to ensure the ability to protect Florida children.”
If social media platforms violate HB 3, they could face up to $50,000 in penalties. As of now, the law will go into effect in January 2025.
