Florida asks court to force Meta to change teen Facebook, Instagram use

• Florida seeks a temporary injunction requiring Meta to remove users under 14, limit teens to two hours daily across all apps, and disable features like autoplay and infinite scroll
• The requested changes go beyond the August settlement terms by cutting off teen messaging after time limits and barring all advertisements to minors
• Florida rejected the $18 billion settlement as a 'mere slap on the wrist' representing only 3-4 months of Meta's profit, arguing it will not prevent future harmful behavior

Florida Seeks Court-Ordered Restrictions on Meta's Teen Platform Usage

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a motion Wednesday in Pasco County court requesting a temporary injunction to impose immediate restrictions on Meta's (META.O) Facebook and Instagram platforms for teenage users in the state.

Key Demands:

• Remove all users under age 14 from Facebook and Instagram in Florida
• Limit teens to two hours daily across all Meta apps
• Disable autoplay and infinite scroll features for teen users
• Block messaging access after time limits are reached
• Prohibit advertisements targeting teens

Background:

Florida is proceeding independently after opting out of a multistate settlement reached in August, where Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to 48 states and Washington D.C. The settlement represents approximately three to four months of Meta's profit or one month of revenue. Florida dismissed this as a "mere slap on the wrist" that would be viewed as simply a cost of doing business.

Legal Context:

The lawsuit accuses Meta of deliberately engineering addictive platforms for young users and misleading consumers about safety measures. Uthmeier's requested changes are significantly more stringent than those Meta agreed to in the multistate settlement, though Florida argues the settlement proves such modifications are technically feasible.

Market Implications:

If granted, this injunction could set a precedent for stricter state-level regulation of social media platforms and teen user protections. The case may pressure Meta to implement more restrictive features nationwide and could inspire similar actions from other states, potentially impacting user engagement metrics and advertising revenue from younger demographics.

Meta has not yet commented on the filing but previously denied wrongdoing while settling with other states.