Florida court allows lawsuit against Meta to proceed
Appeals court rejects Meta's First Amendment defense, allowing Florida child safety lawsuit to proceed.
The Meta logo and logos of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads are screened on a mobile phone for illustration photo in Krakow, Poland on Jan. 25, 2025 (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via AFP)
A state appeals court in Florida has denied a request from Meta to dismiss a lawsuit concerning child safety on its platforms. The decision allows the legal proceedings against the social media company to continue.
Meta had sought to have the case thrown out by arguing that the claims were protected under the First Amendment. The appeals court rejected this defense, clearing the way for the litigation to move forward in the state court system.
The ruling, issued on Nov. 5, 2026, ensures that the allegations regarding the company's impact on child safety will be subject to further judicial review.