Florida Social Media Law for Minors Allowed to Stand by Appeals Court

A state appeals court has granted Florida the ability to enforce a law that bans social media accounts for individuals under the age of 14 and mandates parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds. The ruling on Wednesday allows the state to proceed with the restrictions, which were among the most stringent in the U.S. when signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2024.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined in a 3-0 opinion that while the law may implicate the First Amendment, it likely does so in a content-neutral manner. The court stated the law "doesn’t burden substantially more speech than necessary to advance the important interest in protecting minors from social media addiction."

The Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, industry trade groups, had challenged the law, asserting it violated the free-speech rights of both social media providers and users. A federal judge had previously placed an injunction on the law in 2025, deeming it likely unconstitutional. However, this injunction was put on hold during the appeals process.

The appeals court clarified that the law specifically targets social media platforms identified as inducing heavy use by children and that employ algorithms alongside addictive features. The lawsuit will now return to federal court in Tallahassee.

NetChoice expressed disappointment with the decision, stating, "We are currently evaluating all of our options as we continue the fight to ensure Floridians’ rights to free expression online are protected, and parents remain in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions for their families.” A request for comment from the Florida attorney general’s office was not immediately answered.