The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice have joined forces to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Florida’s HB3, a new law set to take effect in January 2025.
The lawsuit argues that HB3 violates the First Amendment rights of both minors and adults by imposing significant restrictions on access to online content.
HB3 specifically targets websites popular with minors, requiring parental consent for users aged 14 and 15 to create accounts and outright prohibiting account creation for those under 14. The law also imposes penalties on websites that inadvertently create accounts for underage users.
READ: Tech-Industry Group Urges Veto Of Florida Social Media Bill
The CCIA contends that these provisions infringe on the rights of minors to access lawful information and the rights of websites to display lawful content. They argue that parental controls and existing tools provided by digital service providers are a more effective and less restrictive way to protect children online.
“This social media law infringes on 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. Protecting children online is an important goal that CCIA shares with legislators, and the far better way to ensure their protection is to give parents the information and tools they need to shield their children from unsuitable content, as digital services providers already have done for decades, ” said CCIA Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff, Stephanie Joyce.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent HB3 from taking effect.
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