• by Wendy Davis , 6 hours ago

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is seeking a court order that would impose numerous new restrictions on Meta Platforms -- including one that would prohibit the company from displaying "third-party" ads to teens under 18.

Uthmeier's 85-page request for a pre-trial injunction -- filed Wednesday in Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit -- specifically seeks a prohibition on displaying "third-party advertisements of any kind" in teens' "accounts, messages, feeds, Reels, or any other method by which [teens] access and use the platforms."

The attorney general also seeks to require Meta to verify users' ages and remove accounts of anyone under 14, and to impose restrictions on older teens similar to -- but more restrictive -- than those in a proposed settlement with 48 other attorneys general.

For instance, Uthmeier is asking a judge to order Meta to cap teen usage at 60 hours a month across Facebook and Instagram -- including time spent watching long-form content and messaging.

Meta's recent proposed settlement with 48 states includes a daily usage limit of up to two hours per day on Facebook and Instagram -- or one hour if competitors follow suit -- that can be turned off with parental consent. But that cap wouldn't include time watching long-form content or messaging.

Uthmeier is also asking for restrictions on allegedly "addictive" features on minors' accounts, such as personalized recommendations and notifications about "likes."

The request for an injunction comes almost two years after Uthmeier sued Meta for allegedly violating state consumer protection laws by deceiving consumers about the safety of its apps. The complaint in that case, like others filed by state attorneys general across the country, included allegations that Meta designed its apps to be addictive.

Florida and New Mexico are the only states that did not join in the multi-state settlement with Meta.

A Meta spokesperson called the request for an injunction meritless.

"The state cannot both claim the benefits of a settlement Florida declined to join while continuing to sue us," the spokesperson said.