Florida has asked a state court to order Meta Platforms to impose stricter limits on teenagers using Facebook and Instagram, escalating its legal fight with the social media company over youth safety.
In a filing on Wednesday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier requested a temporary injunction requiring Meta to remove users under 14 from the platforms in Florida and limit teenagers to two hours of combined daily use across its apps.
The proposed order would also require Meta to disable features such as autoplay and infinite scrolling for teenage users. Florida wants the measures to take effect while its lawsuit against the company proceeds.
The state accuses Meta of designing its platforms in ways that encourage addictive use among young people and of misleading the public about the safety of its services. Meta has denied wrongdoing.
Florida was among the states that pursued legal action against Meta over its treatment of young users but declined to join an agreement reached in August involving 48 other states and Washington, D.C. That settlement included an $18 billion payment and new restrictions on teenage use.
Florida argues that its proposed restrictions should go further, including cutting off messaging and advertising once teenagers reach their daily usage limit.
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