Phil Ammann
A legal battle is brewing in Florida over HB 3, the law aimed at protecting young people from the perceived dangers of social media.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) is challenging the law in court, arguing that it violates minors’ and adults’ First Amendment rights.
Oral arguments are scheduled for Friday.
HB3, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March 2024, effective Jan. 1, 2025, is one of the strictest social media bans in the country. It prohibits children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.
The law was a key priority for former House Speaker Paul Renner.
“A child in their brain development doesn’t have the ability to know that they’re being sucked into these addictive technologies and to see the harm and step away from it, and because of that, we have to step in for them,” Renner said at the bill-signing ceremony.
Several states have considered similar legislation.
Kara Gross, legislative director of the ACLU of Florida, said of HB 3: “HB 3 is a government censorship law aimed at ensuring that youth do not have access to information and resources that the Governor does not want them to access. HB 3 raises significant constitutional concerns because it intrudes on the free speech rights of adults and minors.”
The CCIA and co-Plaintiff NetChoice filed a lawsuit in October 2024, claiming that HB 3 is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. They argue that the law prevents minors, and potentially adults, from accessing lawful content online. The CCIA sought a preliminary injunction to prevent the law from taking effect.
Stephanie Joyce, senior vice president, Chief of Staff and director of CCIA’s Litigation Center, emphasizes the importance of protecting First Amendment rights. She describes HB3 as an “internet rationing” law that “blocks access to lawful content” and represents an “unlawful attempt to police free speech.” The CCIA believes the court should subject the law to stringent review, which it argues Florida has failed to satisfy.
The CCIA is an international trade association representing various communications and technology companies. With a history of over 50 years, the organization advocates for open markets, open systems, and open networks.
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
3 comments
Oscar
February 27, 2025 at 9:13 pm
While I applaud the objective – preventing minors from accessing age inappropriate content online – parents are far better positioned to do that than the government without collaterally impacting the rights of others. The so-called religious right made the same type of overreach in the 1980s. It did not work out well for them.
Clifford Reid
February 28, 2025 at 1:16 pm
While, I actually agree with Oscar, I find, after living these 75 years, that the majority of parents today have little to no moral personal responsability and are probably not, themselves, qualified to to keep pornography and other things of that sort away from our children. As Benjamin Franklin told us, “The less moral responsibility will, the greater need there will be of masters.” So, the question must be asked: until we reachieve moral responsibility in this country, will we have need of masters? I believe it comes down to this. Parents used to be able to teach their children properly. But our schools and churches have been dumbed down and regarded as farces so much that parents no longer, as a whole, understand moral responsibility. The question is, what do we do about it?
jjr
March 6, 2025 at 10:04 pm
parents should put software on devices . not require adults to send to all different sites my dl pictures of me va my video cam risking further my id A TAMPA LEAK ALREADY GOT MY AND MILLIONS OF OTHERE SS NUMBERS REQUIRING ME TO FREEZE CREDIT AND IF MY DL GETS HACKED AND MATCHED TO SS NUMBER AND AGE MY CREDIT AND IDENITY COULD BE USED FOR ILLEGAL I WAENT WORRIED AT FIRSE UNTILL I SAW LINK TO AN ACTRESS I LIKE HER WORK POSED PIC AT SOME PUBLIC PLACE SO NOT PORN ON INSTAGRAM AND I WAS BLOCKED
AND THIS SESSIONS BILLS I LOOKED AR ARE SO BADLY WRITTEN MANY OTHER SITES COULD BE PROSICUTED UNDER ITS WAY BROADLY WRITTEN BILL I ONECE AT WORK FOR MEDICAL CO ADDED SOFTWARE BLOCKED AND WAS BLOCKED FROM A MEDICAL INFO SITE THIS COULD HAPPED IF A DELUSIONAL PROSICUTER GETS ELECTED MIGHT EVEN BAN THE BIBLE ONLINE
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