Florida has filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, accusing the social media platform of using addictive features that target and harm children. Filed in a state court in Santa Rosa County, the complaint claims Snapchat illegally allows children under the age of 13 to open accounts and fails to obtain parental consent for users aged 14 and 15, in violation of a 2024 state law aimed at protecting children’s mental health.
The state argues that features such as infinite scrolling, push notifications, auto-play videos, and feedback metrics are designed to foster compulsive behavior among young users. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier described Snap’s actions as “particularly egregious,” stating that the company markets Snapchat as safe for 13-year-olds, despite the platform’s potential for exposing users to pornography and illegal drug purchases.
Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed the protective legislation, and Uthmeier emphasized that Snap’s lack of safeguards actively deceives parents about the true risks of the app. In response, Snap argued that Florida’s law violates First Amendment rights and pointed to other privacy-conscious solutions that could be implemented at the device, app store, or operating system level.
Meanwhile, tech industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association are challenging the law’s constitutionality in federal court.
Source: Swifteradio.com
