James Uthmeier snaps into Snapchat, alleging child predation

James Uthmeier via Rumble, 4/22/25

Attorney General James Uthmeier is cracking down on alleged predation facilitated by a major social media platform.

“Snapchat is advertising to kids as young as 13,” he said in Tampa Tuesday, representing a breach of Florida law and a danger for kids that empowers “predators” and gives them access to “tens of thousands of kids” in the state.

Florida’s HB 3, passed in 2024, requires parental consent for children aged 14 and 15 to use social media. And Snapchat violates that, flouting law banning younger kids from “having access at all.”

Thus, the AG has filed, as of last night, a lawsuit against Snapchat, based on the dangerous practices it has in operating its company.

And he says the lawsuit is “just the beginning” of actions against problematic platforms.

“Child predators are using these dangerous devices right here to get to our kids,” Uthmeier said. “I can’t say enough to parents at home to scare you about the dangers that are out there. There are sick people out there, and they are using these social media applications to find their way into your homes to reach out to your kids. They’re deceptive, they lure them in, they prey upon them, they try to set up meetings, they ask for photos, and we’re not going to tolerate that.”

Uthmeier said Snapchat “happens to be one of the worst offenders.” He noted the state was “tracking a registered sex offender who for months was online pretending to be other people, seducing young people into sending photographs.”

This, and more, presents a present danger to Florida’s youth, Uthmeier claims.

“We’re seeing increased mental health issues, increased suicides. Kids are reacting and changing in a very dangerous way when they spend hours and hours on these platforms that again are designed to be addictive. So we’re going to be monitoring those things as well. We’ve got various consumer protection arguments that we’re raising,” he added.