October 7, 2026: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier asked a state judge Wednesday to order immediate restrictions on how Meta Platforms serves children and teenagers on Instagram and Facebook while Florida’s lawsuit against the company continues.
The request is for a temporary injunction, not a final judgment. A judge has not yet ruled that Meta must adopt the proposed changes, and the underlying allegations remain disputed.
What Florida is asking the court to order
In a filing in Pasco County court, Florida asked that Meta identify and remove Florida users younger than 14 from Instagram and Facebook. The state also proposed a two-hour daily limit for teenagers across Meta apps.
The requested order would turn off autoplay and infinite scroll for teen accounts, stop messages after the time limit is reached, and restrict advertising directed at those users, according to Reuters. Florida wants the measures to take effect while the broader case proceeds.
Why the state is pressing its own case
Florida’s lawsuit alleges that Meta designed features that encourage compulsive use by young people and misled consumers about platform safety. The state first announced its action against Meta in October 2023, citing its consumer-protection law and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
Most other states recently resolved related claims through a national settlement, but Florida did not join that agreement. Uthmeier has argued that Florida’s separate case should produce stronger restrictions. Meta has described the state’s claims as meritless and has pointed to parental controls and other safety measures it says it has added.
What happens next
The court can grant, narrow or deny the temporary request after considering the parties’ filings. Even if an injunction is issued, it could be appealed and would not by itself resolve the state’s claims for longer-term relief or damages.
For families, the immediate takeaway is that the proposed two-hour limit and removal of under-14 accounts are not active statewide rules yet. Parents can review existing account controls while the court process unfolds. Follow AskNovus coverage in Technology and Parenting.
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Featured image: Adem AY/Unsplash.