Story perspectives

11th Circuit Upholds Florida Social Media Ban for Kids

By Drooid · Oct 15, 2026, 2:16 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Florida’s law banning social-media accounts for children under 14.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 2024 law, which also requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.
The panel applied intermediate scrutiny, deeming the restriction content-neutral and aimed at protecting minors.
The ruling vacated the injunction, allowing HB 3 enforcement while the case returns to the Tallahassee district court.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, Congress passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), signed by President Bill Clinton to shield users under 13 from data collection. The Federal Trade Commission later enforced COPPA, levying a $170 million penalty against Google in 2019 for harvesting minors’ data without parental consent. Like today’s 11th Circuit decision upholding Florida’s HB 3, which restricts social-media access for children under 14 and mandates parental consent for older teens, both measures invoke government authority to protect minors online. These precedents suggest expanding legal frameworks may increasingly limit digital platforms’ reach, prompting nationwide policy debates and potential further court challenges.

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Story summary

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Florida’s law banning social-media accounts for children under 14.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 2024 law, which also requires parental consent for 14- and 15-year-olds.
The panel applied intermediate scrutiny, deeming the restriction content-neutral and aimed at protecting minors.
The ruling vacated the injunction, allowing HB 3 enforcement while the case returns to the Tallahassee district court.

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