A major legal battle over whether Florida can limit how teenagers use social media is heading to a federal appeals court this week. On Tuesday, a panel of judges at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments on Florida’s House Bill 3, a law designed to heavily restrict social media access for minors.
The lawsuit comes from the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and its co-plaintiff NetChoice. These two tech industry trade groups are asking the court to block the law. They argue that HB3 prevents users from accessing lawful content and directly violates the First Amendment.
Governor Ron DeSantis originally signed HB3 into law in March 2024. The legislation forces social media platforms to ban children under 14 from creating or holding accounts. It also dictates that 14- and 15-year-olds must get parental consent before they can use these platforms.
Under the law, companies are required to delete the existing accounts and personal information of underage users, and they face heavy financial penalties from the state if they fail to comply.
The law has already bounced around the legal system over the last two years. Last summer, a federal district judge temporarily blocked HB3, ruling that it was likely unconstitutional.
However, in late 2025, a divided panel of the Eleventh Circuit lifted that injunction, allowing Florida to enforce the rules while the appeal continued. Tuesday’s hearing gives the plaintiffs a chance to present their full case and argue why the law should be permanently thrown out.
CCIA President and CEO Matt Schruers outlined the association’s legal stance ahead of the hearing.
“We support greater protections for younger users online, and there are many competing tools parents can use to decide what’s right for their families,” Schruers said. “These decisions, however, are better made around the dinner table – not the governor’s desk. Florida’s statute violates the First Amendment by blocking and restricting minors — and likely adults as well — from using certain websites to view lawful content. We look forward to making this argument in court.”
This marks Florida’s second major attempt to pass sweeping restrictions on social media access. The state’s first internet law focused on stopping platforms from moderating content or banning political candidates.
That initial attempt was blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court and sent back down to the lower courts for a full hearing.
In this latest case, the tech groups plan to show the judges that HB3 goes too far. The plaintiffs argue that forcing residents to hand over personal data to verify their age actually creates severe privacy and security risks, while acting as a barrier to free speech.
The court’s eventual decision is expected to set a major precedent for how other states handle children’s online safety and digital rights.
READ: Florida Rep. Laurel Lee Targets Child Predators With New Bipartisan Safe Cloud Storage Act
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