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Appeals court allows Florida to enforce social-media restrictions for minors

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Published  November 27, 2025 12:06am EST
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • Florida can begin enforcing a 2024 law restricting minors’ access to certain social-media platforms after a divided federal appeals court granted a stay of an injunction.
    • The law faces ongoing constitutional challenges from tech industry groups who argue it violates free-speech rights.
    • A final decision on the law’s legality remains months away as the appeals court continues reviewing the case.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida’s newly contested social-media restrictions for minors moved a step closer to enforcement after a divided federal appeals panel allowed the state to proceed while litigation continues.

The ruling signals a high-stakes constitutional fight over online speech, children’s safety and the reach of state regulation.

What we know:

A divided 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Florida’s request to stay a preliminary injunction that had blocked HB 3, allowing the state to enforce the law while the case proceeds. 

The measure bars children under 14 from opening accounts on certain platforms and requires parental consent for 14 and 15-year-olds. 

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Platforms potentially affected include Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and YouTube, based on their use of features such as autoplay and infinite scroll. The majority concluded the law is content neutral and aimed at limiting minors’ access to addictive platform design rather than speech itself.

What we don't know:

The ruling does not settle whether HB 3 will ultimately withstand constitutional scrutiny, nor does it clarify precisely which platforms will be covered, since the law lists criteria rather than specific companies. It also remains unclear how age verification will be implemented, or how enforcement will be carried out in practice across multiple platforms with different design features. 

The backstory:

HB 3 emerged as one of the most debated proposals of the 2024 legislative session, driven by concerns that social-media use is addictive and harmful to children’s mental health. 

The law was immediately challenged by NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, whose members include Google, Meta and Snap. 

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In June, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked the law, ruling that it likely violated First Amendment rights, prompting the state to appeal. Florida’s request centered on allowing enforcement during the appeal, which the panel granted in its 2–1 decision.

The Source: This story was written based on reporting by the News Service of Florida.

 

 

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