Florida Appeals Court Advances State Child Safety Lawsuit Against Meta

A Florida state appeals court ruled that Meta must face a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general over child safety concerns. In a 19-page decision, a three-judge panel of the Second District Court of Appeal declined to dismiss the case and upheld a lower court’s order.

The judges determined that Meta failed to prove any violations of its First Amendment rights. The ruling noted that the challenged order left the status quo intact without placing new restrictions, granting injunctive relief, or compelling speech.

Background of the Florida Lawsuit

Florida first filed suit against Meta in 2024. The state claimed the company misled parents regarding the dangers of its platforms in violation of the Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Although Meta agreed to a settlement with 47 states and Washington, D.C., involving up to $17.1 billion in civil penalties and limits like time caps, Florida did not join.

Last month, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a motion for a temporary injunction. He sought to limit minors’ access to Facebook and Instagram, eliminate addictive features like like counts, cap teen screen time at two hours, end late-night notifications, and prevent infinite scrolling. A Pasco County Circuit Court judge declined the injunction and allowed the case to proceed.

Appellate Court Rejects Defenses

Following the lower court’s refusal to issue an injunction, Meta appealed through a writ of certiorari. The company argued that the actions violated its free speech and sought immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

The appellate panel rejected these claims. Judge Andrea Teves Smith wrote that the limited statutory immunity is not absolute immunity from being involved in a lawsuit, meaning Meta would not suffer irreparable harm simply by litigating the matter.

What This Means for Families

For ordinary people and families, this ruling means the litigation remains active in the courts, but no immediate state-mandated changes or restrictions are currently placed on Meta apps in Florida. Parents do not face immediate platform changes and should continue using existing parental supervision controls and time limits offered by the company.

Because the litigation continues and future injunctions could alter app access or features, families may want to monitor updates. If new state-mandated limitations or court orders are eventually issued, affected individuals can consult a lawyer to understand how changes to app features or screen time caps might impact them.

This article is general information based on Courthouse News Service and court or agency records available at publication time. It is not legal advice; laws and deadlines differ by state and by case. Published November 5, 2026.