A federal court will hear arguments on Friday, February 28, 2025, on a motion to slam the brakes on Florida’s HB3, a contentious law aimed at curbing teens’ social media use that critics say tramples free speech.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), alongside co-plaintiff NetChoice, is spearheading the challenge, arguing in a lawsuit filed last October that the measure—dubbed an “internet rationing” law—unconstitutionally gags minors and adults alike from lawful online content.
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Florida’s HB3, signed into law in 2024, seeks to shield kids under 16 from social media’s perceived ills by imposing age-verification hurdles and outright bans on certain platforms. But CCIA contends it’s a First Amendment flop, throttling access to everything from news to memes for no good reason.
Their motion for a preliminary injunction, set for debate in a Tallahassee courtroom, demands the law be paused before it kicks in, claiming Florida’s failed to justify such sweeping censorship under strict judicial scrutiny.
The stakes are high. CCIA and NetChoice—a trade group for tech giants like Meta and Google—say HB3 doesn’t just clip teens’ wings; its vague reach could snag adults, too, forcing platforms to over-block or drown in compliance costs.
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Florida, backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, pitches it as a parental lifeline against digital predators and mental health woes. Critics, though, see a nanny state stomping on rights, echoing past court smackdowns of similar laws—like a 2021 Florida social media rule gutted by the Supreme Court.
“CCIA has forcefully demonstrated that this social media law infringes the First Amendment rights of both minors and adults by creating significant barriers to accessing online information that every American, including minors, has a right to see,” said Stephanie Joyce, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff and Director of CCIA’s Litigation Center. “This ‘internet rationing’ law blocks access to lawful content and is another example of the state’s unlawful attempt to police free speech.”
Friday’s showdown could set the tone. If CCIA wins the injunction, HB3 stalls pending a full trial—keeping Florida’s social media gates open for now. Lose, and the law rolls out, testing how far states can stretch to “protect” kids before the Constitution cries foul.
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