A court allows Florida to ban children from using social media platforms

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On Wednesday, a federal appeals court allowed the US state of Florida to implement a state law that prevents children under the age of 14 from using social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, rejecting what two groups representing the technology sector said about the law violating the protection provided by the US Constitution for freedom of expression.

In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of an Atlanta-based appeals court overturned a lower court's initial order that had halted implementation of the law.

According to Reuters, the court said that the law does not regulate the content provided by social media sites, and therefore does not conflict with the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The law prohibits social media platforms with so-called “addictive features” - such as video autoplay and endless video clips - from allowing children under 14 to create accounts.

NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association filed a lawsuit in 2024 to stop the law. The two groups include Meta Platforms, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Florida was one of the first states to pass a law regulating the use of social media for children, amid a broader debate about the role of applications in affecting the mental health of young people.