Florida
Florida takes aim at challenge to Social Media Law
TALLAHASSEE – Saying social media is “facing a reckoning,” Florida fired back Monday against a lawsuit challenging a new state law aimed at keeping children off social media platforms.
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office filed two documents urging a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit and to deny a preliminary injunction that social media industry groups are seeking to block the measure.
The law was one of the highest-profile issues of the 2024 legislative session, with lawmakers saying that addictive social media platforms harm children. But the Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, whose members include tech giants such as Google and Meta Platforms, filed the challenge in October, contending the law violates First Amendment rights and that parents should make decisions about children’s social media use.
The state’s filings Monday raised a series of arguments, including that the industry groups do not have legal standing to challenge the law (HB 3) and that the law’s restrictions do not violate speech rights.
“The statute regulates purely commercial activity – transacting with children while using harmful features to addict them,” the state’s attorneys wrote in opposing a preliminary injunction. “Minors have no First Amendment right to contract for products designed to addict them. HB 3 is also a reasonable, content-neutral time, place, and manner restriction. It regulates only the manner in which children engage with social media.”
But in the lawsuit, attorneys for the industry groups said Florida “cannot begin to show that its draconian access restrictions are necessary to advance any legitimate interest it may assert.”
“Parents already have a wealth of tools at their disposal to limit what online services their minor children use, what they can do on those services, and how often they can use them,” the lawsuit said. “Florida may wish that more Floridians shared its own views about whether minors should use ‘social media platforms.’ But while the state may take many steps to protect minors from harm, including by persuading parents to take advantage of tools to limit their minor children’s access to ‘social media platforms,’ it may not take matters into its own hands and restrict access itself.”
The law, which was spearheaded by then-House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. But Moody agreed in November to delay enforcement until Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Wilson rules on the injunction request. Walker has scheduled a Feb. 28 hearing.
The law, in part, seeks to prevent children under age 16 from opening social media accounts on certain platforms – though it would allow parents to give consent for 14- and 15-year-olds to have accounts. Children under 14 could not open accounts.
The law does not name social-media platforms that would be affected. But it includes a definition of such platforms, with criteria related to such things as algorithms, “addictive features” and allowing users to view the content or activities of other users.
The lawsuit repeatedly referred to sites such as YouTube and Facebook – while also saying the law would not apply to services such as Disney+.
“While the law purports to address ‘addictive features,’ it does not restrict access to all mediums that employ similar features to engage their audience,” attorneys for the industry groups wrote. “The law leaves services like Disney+, Hulu, and Roblox uncovered, even though many minors spend hours on those services each day, and even though they employ the same so-called ‘addictive features,’ like personalized algorithms, push notifications, and autoplay. The state’s only evident justification for restricting access to Facebook and YouTube while leaving many other mediums for speech untouched is the state’s apparent belief that the covered websites deliver content the state thinks is particularly harmful.”
The state’s motion to dismiss the case, however, argued the law does not trigger “heightened First Amendment scrutiny.”
“The law limits children from having accounts on platforms that traffic in addiction,” the motion said. “It leaves platforms free to present content to children and adults through non-addictive means and free to present material to children who do not hold accounts. That affects only a child’s ability to ‘enter’ certain online businesses – it does not in any way censor children on the internet.”
If social-media companies violate the law they could face penalties up to $50,000 per violation. The law also would open them to lawsuits filed on behalf of minors.
“Social media is facing a reckoning,” the state’s attorneys wrote in opposing a preliminary injunction. “Because of whistleblowers and leaked internal documents, the public has learned that social-media companies for years have deployed features to addict youth with full awareness of the destruction compulsive use has on children’s mental health.”
Meanwhile, a separate pending lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of another part of the law that requires age verification to try to prevent minors from having access to online pornographic sites. That lawsuit was filed by different plaintiffs.
After losing a commitment from four-star linebacker Izayia Williams, who is now on his fifth commitment after flipping to Ole Miss, the Florida Gators are poised to replace him with another high-ranked recruit.
Four-star Malik Morris of Lakeland (Fla.) on Tuesday revealed his final six schools of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Missouri and Texas A&M. Morris (6-1, 225 pounds) is rated as the nation’s No. 8 linebacker prospect and No. 131 overall prospect in the class of 2026, according to Rivals.
While Florida will have to fend off strong recruiting from rivals Miami, Georgia and Alabama, the Gators appear to be the front runner after earning a string of predictions to receive a pledge from Morris.
On3’s Corey Bender and Blake Alderman both gave predictions in March and April for Morris to end up with Florida.
The Gators will have a chance to seal the deal this summer when Morris takes an official visit with the program on June 13 after visits Miami on May 30 and Texas A&M on June 6. Morris has not announced a scheduled commitment date.
“Florida fits right in my heart, man,” Morris told On3 in March after an unofficial visit. “I like a lot of places, but Florida fits in my heart. It’s just something special. I’m taking these trips and getting the experiences.”
A pledge from Morris would immediate boost the Gators’ 2026 recruiting class, which is left with one pledge in four-star quarterback Will Griffin after recent decommitments from Williams, four-star safety Devin Jackson and four-star corner Jaelen Waters.
However, the Gators are in a strong position to build its class with a heavy official visit schedule this summer and with predictions to land a slew of recruits in Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy interior offensive lineman G’Nivre Carr, Dyke (Va.) four-star defensive lineman Valdin Stone, Cocoa (Fla.) four-star defensive back CJ Hester and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy tight end Kekua Aumua.
TAMPA, Fla. – Gov Ron DeSantis announced Monday Florida Highway Patrol troopers will be enforcing immigration law just like federal agents.
This week, more than 100 FHP troopers were the first state officers in the country to be sworn in as special deputy U.S. Marshals.
DeSantis said the troopers will be able to enforce immigration law independently from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“It empowers state troopers to execute federal warrants and remove dangerous criminal aliens from our communities,” DeSantis said.
During the news conference in Tampa, DeSantis was with Larry Keefe, the executive director of the State Board of Immigration Enforcement.
Keefe held up the state’s Immigration Enforcement Operations Plan, a 37-page “Florida blueprint” that he said is a “prototype” for other states to follow.
Dave Kerner, the executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, said deputized troopers have federal authority to detain, investigate, apprehend, and deport.
The ramp-up follows Operation Tidal Wave last month. A state-federal partnership to detain more than 1,000 migrants in Florida in less than a week.
“We were told Tidal Wave was so successful and the trend or pattern for the state of Florida. What we are doing is such that is the new normal,” Keefe said.
DeSantis also released a statement saying Florida submitted a plan to the federal government to “contribute new detention facilities” and a proposal to deputize Florida National Guard JAGS as immigration judges.
Complete coverage
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
SUNRISE, Fla. — It’s a formula the Florida Panthers keep using in the playoffs: take a lead after two periods, then let Sergei Bobrovsky and the defense do the rest. And it worked again.
Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots for his fifth career playoff shutout, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored and the Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 on Sunday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.
Florida has won 25 consecutive playoff games when leading after two periods, a streak that goes back to May 5, 2022. And in helping to tie the series, Bobrovsky officially put a slow start to rest. In Games 1 and 2 last week in Toronto, he allowed nine goals en route to two losses. He returned to Amerant Bank Arena on Friday night for Game 3, and allowed four more.
“It’s a series,” Bobrovsky said. “The bigger games are ahead, so we’re excited about them. The series comes down to a best-of-three, so it’s a big game, next one.”
Home-ice advantage has held, and Toronto will hope that trend continues in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The Leafs won Games 1 and 2 at home, then dropped Games 3 and 4 in Sunrise.
“We had looks,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “They’re doing a good job of swarming us with numbers, obviously. … It’s a battle out there. This is what it is. They don’t give you a lot.”
Verhaeghe scored on a power play — Florida’s fourth of the game — in the first period, Bennett added the insurance score with 7:50 left and Bobrovsky did the rest for his second shutout of this postseason.
Joseph Woll stopped 35 shots for the Maple Leafs.
“He was great,” Berube said of his netminder. “He played an excellent game.”
Verhaeghe’s goal came after Matthew Tkachuk, along the left-wing boards, threaded a pass through the slot and past two defenders. It found Verhaeghe — who slammed a one-timer past Woll.
That was part of an early spree for Florida. The Panthers took 21 of the game’s first 26 shots on net, controlling play for long stretches and keeping all the action in front of Woll. He held firm, time and again, keeping Toronto in it.
Bennett said enough. He came in from Woll’s left, with Verhaeghe opposite him, looking for a passing lane. When none appeared, Bennett went to the front of the net, watched Woll commit, then pushed the puck into the net before punching the air.
“That was more like the type of Panthers playoff hockey that we’re used to,” Bennett said.
It got chippy late, as games this late in a series tend to do. Oliver Ekman-Larsson — part of the Florida team that won the Stanley Cup last season — delivered a shot to the head and neck area of Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues about five minutes into the third period. It was originally called a major, then downgraded to a minor after review.
Rodrigues will need further evaluation Monday, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.
And four players — Toronto’s Max Domi for boarding Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov; and Toronto’s Bobby McMann, Florida’s Aaron Ekblad and Panthers forward Brad Marchand on his 37th birthday — all got 10-minute misconducts as time expired.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Leaders break ground on iconic Lee Plaza redevelopment for senior housing in Detroit
San Francisco police searching for suspect in fatal hit and run
US DOJ, John Cornyn starts investigation into Muslim community, Epic, tied to East Plano Center
Man shot in NE Miami-Dade, hospitalized in stable condition, MDSO says
Boston city staff attorney running for mayor placed on paid administrative leave by city officials – The Boston Globe
-
Austin, TX3 days agoBest Austin Salads – 15 Food Places For Good Greens!
-
News1 week agoFamily statement: Rodney Hinton Jr. walked out of body camera footage meeting with CPD prior to officer death
-
Politics1 week agoTrump posts AI image of himself as Pope amid Vatican's search for new pontiff
-
Education1 week agoIn Alabama Commencement Speech, Trump Mixes In the Political
-
Technology7 days agoBe careful what you read about an Elden Ring movie
-
Culture1 week agoPulitzer Prizes 2025: A Guide to the Winning Books and Finalists
-
News1 week agoFather Whose Son Was Shot by Cincinnati Police Hits Deputy With Car, Killing Him
-
Politics1 week agoEPA chief Zeldin announces overhauls to bring agency back to Reagan-level staffing