The state of Florida has filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, accusing the social media giant of using illegally addictive features.
The state’s Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier filed the case against Snap for violating a 2024 state law aimed at protecting minors from compulsive social media use.
Newsweek contacted the attorney general for more information on the case via email.
Why It Matters
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal battles in the debate over the role of social media in children’s lives and the responsibilities of tech companies in safeguarding young users.
Industry groups like NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association have challenged the constitutionality of Florida’s law in federal court.
A photo shows the logo of the online messenger Snapchat on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on November 27, 2024. A photo shows the logo of the online messenger Snapchat on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on November 27, 2024. Getty Images
What To Know
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Santa Rosa County Circuit Court, alleges that Snapchat’s design elements, such as infinite scrolling, auto-play videos, push notifications, and engagement metrics, are intentionally crafted to keep children engaged on the platform.
“We take the safety and security of children very seriously, and as part of our mission to make Florida the best place to raise a family, we are holding social media platforms that harm children accountable,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
“Snap is deceiving Florida parents about the dangers children face on the app, from behavioral addictive features to allowing sexual predators and drug dealers access, and we cannot allow this deception to continue.”
Snap has defended its practices, arguing that Florida’s law infringes on First Amendment rights and suggesting that solutions for online safety and age verification should be implemented at the platform level.
What People Are Saying
The court documents filed by the attorney general read: “There is widespread consensus among parents, teachers, and experts in teens’ mental health that compulsive use of social media is harmful to teens’ well-being.
“Snap’s conduct is particularly egregious because it continues to market Snapchat in Florida as safe for users as young as 13 even though it knows that Snapchat can be easily used to access pornography and buy drugs, among many other dangers.
“Rather than obeying Florida law by removing 13-year-old users from the platform and seeking parental consent for 14- and 15-year-old users, Snap is actively deceiving Florida parents about the risks of allowing their teens to access this platform.”
What Happens Next
A Santa Rosa County circuit court will consider the case, which could decide whether or not Snapchat is available to 13-year-old children in Florida.
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