Snapchat is ‘openly defying’ Florida law for protecting minors: state AG

The Public Prosecutor of Florida James Othmieer filed a lawsuit on Monday against Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, claimed that the popular platform was “publicly challenging” the state law that aims to protect the young palace from the advantages of social media that causes addiction and examining and dangerous content.

Public Prosecutor Utiar, who was recently appointed by Florida Governor Ron Desantis, claimed in the complaint of the Court of the Department on Monday that Snapchat uses addiction features to attract minors under the age of 13, which are not allowed companies such as Snapchat to provide accounts under the HB State Law in Florida.

The lawsuit also claims that Snapchat is not sufficiently realized from the ages of its users, noting that the parents ’approval is required in Florida for Snapchat users under the age of 16, and was deceptive about determining content that is not supposed to be at the reach of minors.

“Snap behavior is particularly terrible because it continues to market Snapchat in Florida as safe for users who are not more than 13 years old, although he knows that Snapchat can be used easily to reach pornography and drug purchase, among many other risks,” according to UTHMEIER’s complaint. “Instead of obeying the Florida Law by removing the 13 -year -old users from the platform and searching for parents’ approval of the 14 and 15 -year -old users, SNAP actively deceives the parents of Florida about the dangers of allowing teenagers to reach this platform. “

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Uthmeier argued in his insight that the current age classifications of Snapchat for the content “very deceptive and unfair”, noting a column writer in the Washington Post who tested the Snapchat Ai Chatbot feature and was able to provide instructions for a 13 -year -old child on how to hide the smell of pot and alcohol. He pointed to the “Find Friends” feature from Snapchat as well, among other things, which Uthmeier claimed that “the palace links them with adult strangers who seek the groom, harassment, exploitation, and even attack them, or sell them illegal drugs.”

According to Uthmeier, Snapchat realized in other lawsuits that he is subject to the provisions contained under HB 3 in Florida, which led him to confirm the complaint of Monday that the platform “challenges this correct, publicly important measure.”

However, Snap Inc. That the basic hypothesis of UTHMEIERE’s complaint, Snapchat violates HB 3, is flawed because the law violates the rights of the first amendment to adults and youth. At the same time, Snap Inc. said. , HB 3 failed to address age verification and open Floridian to data protection and privacy issues.

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A spokesman for Snap Inc. said. In a statement of Fox News Digital: “We believe that there are more awareness -awareness solutions to online safety and age verification management, including in the operating system, application store or device level.” “In addition, there is a current challenge to the constitutionality of this pending law in the Federal Federal Court, and we hope that the state allows this challenge to move forward in the appropriate legal process. Unfortunately, they decided to file a complaint in the state court in an attempt to overcome the cases that are already heard in the Federal Court.”

Public Prosecutor James Othiar, who was recently appointed by Florida Governor Ron Desantis, claimed in the complaint of the Court of the Department on Monday that Snapchat uses addiction features to attract minor users under the age of 13, which is prohibited by the state law HB 3 companies such as Snapchat to do it. (Getty Images/Fox News)

HB 3 was challenged by industry groups in a lawsuit last year on the pretext that the state law violated the first amendment rights. The plaintiff in that lawsuit has challenged the Computer and Communications Industry Association and Netchical, which collectively represents many major social media platforms including Snapchat, the laws of other states that aim to protect minors from the harmful advantages of social media on the foundations of the first amendment.

The law prohibits social media applications that use some addictive features, such as payment notifications, automatic play features, infinite passing, and more, from allowing users under the age of 13 to open an account. For users under the age of 16, parents’ notification must be obtained.

The bill also requires companies such as Snapchat that intentionally publishes adult content on their platforms to take steps to prohibit access to these materials by any users less than 18 years old.

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According to the law, any platforms that violate the requirements of HB 3 can be subject to a reckless manner to enforce them under the Laughter and Important Trade Practice Law in Florida, which can lead to fines of up to $ 50,000 per accident. Meanwhile, account holders may also follow up to $ 10,000 of damage.

“We are challenging the activity of the Florida law because it violates the first amendment,” Paul Taski, director of litigation at Netchical, told Fox News Digital. “We are confident that we will be successful.”

With the version of Snapchat for the new artificial intelligence feature, Dreams, Director of the Center for Technology and Innovation at the Institute of Competitive Institutions Jessica News Digital, told the platform “on the border” to bring artificial intelligence capabilities to the public on social media. (Jonathan Raa/Nurphoto via Getty Images)

Non -profit organizations that enhance parental rights, including the American Parents Alliance and the International Center for Missing Children and Use of Persons, expressed its support for the Uthmeier suit, noting that the use of social media among minors can have harmful effects on their mental and luxury fitness in general later in life.

“There is no debate that social media hurts the mental and physical health of our children,” Alyge Marie, Executive Director of the American Parents Coalition, told Fox News Digital. “Besides the extensive challenges facing young people with the nature that causes addiction to platforms, Snapchat allowed bad safety measures and adequate parents to endanger our children. From sexual predators to drug traffickers, to pornography, Snapchat is aware of the risks associated with the platform, especially for young people, but they have put a profit in protection.”

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“Uthmeier Public Prosecutor realizes that the children of Florida are the future of our society and our suitability. General UTHMEIERE is on protecting children from inappropriate content and threats represented by predators for children explains a deep understanding of their presence in the missing and deporting children.” By giving priority to protection, not only enhances the current legislative scene but also puts a vital example of others To follow up. “