Florida is taking legal action against Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, alleging the platform harms children through addictive features and deceptive practices. Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the lawsuit, asserting that Snapchat knowingly violates Florida statutes and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The core of the lawsuit revolves around the claim that Snapchat utilizes features designed to be addictive, thereby contributing to compulsive use among young users. These features, identified in Florida's HB3 law, include infinite scrolling, push notifications, personalized interactive metrics (like Snapstreaks), and autoplay videos. The HB3 law, passed last year, aims to protect children's mental health by regulating social media platforms. It specifically prohibits platforms with addictive design features from providing accounts to children under 13 and requires parental consent for those aged 14 and 15.
According to the lawsuit, Snapchat continues to market itself as safe for users as young as 13 in Florida, despite knowing the platform can expose minors to harmful content, including pornography, drug sales, and online predators. Uthmeier stated that Snap is deceiving parents about these dangers and failing to address the risks adequately, in violation of Florida law. These risks include exposure to profanity, content related to alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, sexually explicit material, and mature themes. The lawsuit also highlights the ease with which predators and drug dealers can contact children through the app.
Snapchat has responded by arguing that Florida's law infringes on the First Amendment rights of both adults and children. The company also suggested that alternative solutions for online safety and age verification are available at the operating system, app store, and device level. Technology trade groups, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, are also challenging the constitutionality of the Florida law in federal court.
The lawsuit seeks to compel Snapchat to comply with Florida law and is pursuing penalties of up to $50,000 for each violation. This legal action is part of a broader effort by Florida to regulate social media platforms and protect young users. Attorney General Uthmeier has stated this lawsuit is just the beginning of actions against problematic platforms, also mentioning an investigation into Roblox.
