Florida's Social Media Law for Minors: What HB 3 Requires and Where the Fight Stands
Florida's 2024 law limiting minors' social media use is being enforced while a federal court fight over it continues.
What the law says
The Legislature passed House Bill 3, titled "Online Protections for Minors," in 2024. Gov. Ron DeSantis approved it on March 25, 2024, and it took effect Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Florida Senate's bill page.
The social media rules are codified in Section 501.1736, Florida Statutes. They apply only to platforms that meet all of these tests: users can post or view content, at least 10% of users under 16 spend an average of two hours or more a day on the site, an algorithm picks what users see, and the site has at least one feature the law treats as addictive, such as infinite scrolling, push notifications, autoplay video or live streaming.
Under 14: Covered platforms may not let these children open accounts and must shut down existing ones. The account holder has 90 days to dispute a termination, and the platform must permanently delete the account's personal information.
Ages 14 and 15: Teens may hold accounts only with a parent's or guardian's consent. Accounts without consent must be closed under the same procedures.
The state's Department of Legal Affairs can seek up to $50,000 per violation. Minors can also sue platforms for up to $10,000 in damages.
The court challenge
Two tech industry groups, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, sued in October 2024, arguing the law violates the First Amendment, according to CCIA's case page. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker dismissed the first version of the suit in March 2025, saying the groups had not shown standing. After they amended their complaint, he blocked key parts of the law on June 3, 2025, including the account ban for children under 14 and the parental-consent rule for 14- and 15-year-olds.
Florida appealed. On Nov. 25, 2025, a divided three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused that injunction while the appeal proceeds. Judges Elizabeth Branch and Barbara Lagoa found the law likely content-neutral and likely constitutional. Judge Robin Rosenbaum dissented. Attorney General James Uthmeier's office then vowed aggressive enforcement, the Florida Phoenix reported.
Where it stands now
The 11th Circuit heard arguments on the injunction appeal on March 10, 2026, and did not say when it would rule, Courthouse News Service reported. CCIA's case page says the court later asked for additional briefing. In July 2026, Walker extended trial-court discovery into 2027. FMNN could not confirm that the appeals court has issued a final ruling on the injunction as of Oct. 10, 2026.
How we reported this: This explainer was drafted with AI assistance from the sources linked above, and every fact was checked against those sources. See an error? Contact us and we'll correct it.
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