Snapchat is facing another lawsuit, this time from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. The app known for sharing videos and photos is being accused of using features that are addictive to children without putting barriers in place to protect them.
The lawsuit joins the growing conversation from states, attorneys general, lawmakers and parents about the responsibility social media companies have to keep their platforms safe for children.
Florida AG sues Snapchat over addictive features
The complaint filed on Tuesday, April 22, outlines that Snap Inc. claims its profiles are safe for teens as young as 13, but those profiles can still access pornography and other material harmful to children. Although parental consent is required for teen users aged 14 and 15, Uthmeier said Snapchat is not adding safeguards.
“We take the safety and security of children very seriously, and as part of our mission to make Florida the best place to raise a family, we are holding social media platforms that harm children accountable,” Attorney General Uthmeier said. “Snap is deceiving Florida parents about the dangers children face on the app, from behavioral addictive features to allowing sexual predators and drug dealers access, and we cannot allow this deception to continue.”
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Lawsuit centers on Florida state law
The lawsuit centers around a Florida statute signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024 and the Deceptive and Unfair Trades Practices Act. Florida lawmakers passed the statute, HB 3, to identify five “addictive design features” that social media platforms may use.
According to court documents, Florida authorities accuse Snapchat of using at least four “addictive design features,” including infinite scrolling, push notifications, personal interactive metrics and autoplay videos.
Florida law bars social media platforms that use these types of functions from allowing users 13 years or younger to make an account. If the user is 14 or 15 years old, the law requires them to obtain parental consent before activating an account.
The complaint documents that “Snap has millions of users in the State of Florida, including tens of thousands of users who are under 16 years old. Snap generates millions of dollars of annual revenue by making Snapchat available to users in Florida.”
Snapchat defends design, says Florida law is unconstitutional
In a statement to multiple news outlets, a spokesperson for Snapchat said Florida’s law violated the First Amendment and people’s privacy.
“This law does not adequately address age verification and infringes on the First Amendment rights of adults and young people while also opening Floridians up to data protection and privacy issues,” the company said. “We believe there are more privacy-conscious solutions to online safety and managing age verification, including at the operating system, app store, or device level.”
Snap also points to pending litigation against HB 3, which is currently challenging its constitutionality. The tech company claims Florida is trying to bypass the issues being argued in federal court.
Tech groups sue Florida over 2024 law
NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association are behind the lawsuit. The two groups argue the law blocks access to free speech and doesn’t keep Floridians safer online. They cite cybercrime statistics showing 2.9 million American students were victims of ransomware attacks in 2023. They also said that if social media companies collect data from users, they would become a prime target for cybercriminals.
New York, New Mexico and Vermont are among the states taking Snapchat to court, alleging the company failed to protect kids. Some lawsuits were filed by parents who claim their kids were negatively impacted by the app’s features.
