Florida Faces Legal Challenge Over Social Media Restrictions for Minors

Federal judge questions the constitutionality of a Florida law banning social media access for children under 14 and requiring parental consent for teens.

• The 2024 Florida law prohibits children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.
• Tech industry groups, including Google and Meta, argue the law violates First Amendment rights and unfairly targets certain platforms.
• State attorneys claim the law addresses a mental health crisis caused by addictive social media features, such as infinite scrolling and algorithms.
• U.S. District Judge Mark Walker expressed skepticism, suggesting the law oversteps by restricting free speech and parental decision-making.
• The law, which includes fines of up to $50,000 per violation, has been temporarily paused pending a ruling on the preliminary injunction.

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