TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Lawyer Basic James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit towards Snap Inc. on Tuesday, accusing the social media firm of violating state legislation and endangering youngsters by way of its Snapchat platform.
The lawsuit, obtained by Florida’s Voice, claims that Snapchat employs options designed to be addictive for minors and misleads mother and father concerning the app’s security, violating Florida’s Misleading and Unfair Commerce Practices Act, and HB 3 – handed in 2023.
HB 3 prohibits social media platforms from offering accounts to youngsters underneath 13 and requires parental consent for customers aged 14 or 15 if sure options are used.
“We take the security and safety of youngsters very critically, and as a part of our mission to make Florida the very best place to lift a household, we’re holding social media platforms that hurt youngsters accountable,” Uthmeier mentioned in a press release.
“Snap is deceiving Florida mother and father concerning the risks youngsters face on the app, from behavioral addictive options to permitting sexual predators and drug sellers entry, and we can’t permit this deception to proceed,” he mentioned.
The lawyer normal’s workplace alleges that Snapchat makes use of 4 of the 5 addictive options focused within the legislation: infinite scrolling, push notifications, auto-play movies, and consumer engagement metrics like SnapStreaks. These components, the lawsuit argues, contribute to compulsive use amongst minors.
Snap Inc., in response to the swimsuit, continues to market Snapchat as protected for customers as younger as 13 regardless of its personal admissions that it falls underneath the restrictions outlined in HB 3.
The state says the app exposes minors to dangerous content material, together with profanity, sexual materials and depictions of drug and alcohol use, whereas additionally failing to stop contact from predators or drug sellers.
