Florida sues Snapchat parent company for causing addiction in minors and exposing them to serious risks

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, alleging that it violated state law and harmed minors by promoting addiction and exposing them to the dangers of social media, including predatory behavior.

"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," Uthmeier said in a press appearance.

"Snapchat 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," he added.

In 2024, under Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, alleging that it violated state law and harmed minors by promoting addiction and exposing them to the dangers of social media, including predatory behavior.

"Social media harms children in a variety of ways. HB3 gives parents a greater ability to protect their children," DeSantis said after signing the bill into law.

Specifically, this bill "prevents a minor who is younger than 14 years of age from becoming a social media account holder," "empowers parents to decide whether 14- and 15-year-olds can have a social media account," and "protects the ability of Floridians to remain anonymous online." It also requires age verification on pornographic websites.

Florida is the latest state to file a lawsuit against a social network over concerns of addiction and the exposure of minors to serious risks. Previously, states like Arkansas, Utah or Nebraska filed similar lawsuits, though theirs targeted TikTok rather than Snapchat.