Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is taking decisive action to protect children from the dangers of Big Tech. On Tuesday, Uthmeier announced a lawsuit against social media giant Snapchat, accusing the platform of knowingly breaking Florida law and exposing minors to harmful and predatory content. He made clear this is only the beginning of a broader crackdown on tech companies that put profits ahead of child safety.
“We take the safety and security of children very seriously,” Uthmeier said. “Snap is deceiving Florida parents about the dangers children face on the app—from behavioral addiction to drug dealers and sexual predators having easy access to minors—and we cannot allow this deception to continue.”
The lawsuit alleges that Snapchat is violating key provisions of Florida’s HB 3 law, passed in 2023 under Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership, which aims to curb social media addiction in children by targeting exploitative design features. Uthmeier claims Snapchat uses at least four of those banned features, including infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, push notifications, and personalized engagement metrics to keep kids glued to the screen—without proper parental oversight.
Moreover, the suit argues that Snapchat markets itself as safe for users as young as 13, even though it allows unrestricted access to explicit content and provides a platform for predators and drug dealers to reach minors. According to the AG, Snapchat’s actions are not only irresponsible but in direct violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
“Snap Inc. has acknowledged in other litigation that it is subject to HB 3, yet is openly defying Florida law,” said Uthmeier. “Parents deserve to know the truth, and children deserve protection from predatory platforms.”
Florida’s bold legal action follows a similar lawsuit filed in September 2024 by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who described Snapchat as a breeding ground for sextortion and sexual exploitation of minors.
Despite Snap Inc. claiming its platform includes “built-in safety guardrails,” critics say those measures are too little, too late. As Uthmeier put it: “There are sick people out there—and it’s time tech companies stopped enabling them.”
This lawsuit underscores a growing national movement demanding accountability from Big Tech. Florida is once again leading the charge to defend children, families, and the values that matter most.
