US Court Allows Florida to Ban Social Media Use by Children

A federal appeals court on Wednesday allowed Florida to enforce a state law that prohibits children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, rejecting claims by two technology industry groups that the law violates the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech.

In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, based in Atlanta, overturned a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court that had blocked enforcement of the law.

The court stated that the law does not regulate the content provided by social media sites and therefore does not conflict with the First Amendment.

The law bans social media platforms that feature what it terms “addictive features,” such as auto-playing videos and endless streams of short-form video clips, from allowing children under 14 to create accounts.

In 2024, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association filed a lawsuit to halt implementation of the law. The two groups represent companies including Meta Platforms, TikTok, and Snap.

Florida was among the first states to enact legislation regulating children’s use of social media, amid broader debates about the impact of apps on the mental health of young people.