Appeals court allows Florida to enforce social media restrictions for minors

An appeals court ruled on Wednesday that Florida can enforce its state law restricting social media access for young teenagers, according to the New York Post. The ruling allows the state to prohibit children under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental consent for 14 and 15 year olds. [1]

Governor Ron DeSantis signed the measure into law in 2024, creating one of the most restrictive social media statutes for children in the United States, the New York Post reported. [1]

A panel from the appeals court noted that while the law implicates the First Amendment, it likely does so in a content neutral manner, according to the New York Post. The court stated that the law is expected to survive a full legal challenge because it does not burden significantly more speech than needed to protect minors from social media addiction. [1]