TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) sued Florida over HB 3, its new law mandating its citizens use an I.D. just to access information online.
Blocking access to free, lawful speech will not keep a single Floridian safer online. In fact, it will put their security at serious risk of breach—especially children. Children are already the prime targets for identity thieves, with ransomware attacks affecting 2.9 million American students in 2023, an increase of over 144% from the previous year. If HB 3 goes into effect, it would force companies to collect data into honeypots that will be prime targets for cybercriminals to exploit.
At the end of the day, Florida families would be left with their rights violated, and they would be at increased risk for security violations.
“This lawsuit is about two things: safety and speech. Make no mistake, HB 3 is government censorship paired with massive security risks. HB 3 tramples on Floridians’ right to free speech by conditioning access on handing over sensitive documents. And that condition endangers families’ online safety by creating a new honeypot of sensitive information for hackers to exploit. Florida families need real solutions that are effective and legal,” said Paul Taske, NetChoice Associate Director of Litigation.
Taske continued: “We’ve seen laws like this halted in six other states. Courts across the country are echoing our concerns about the problems riddled throughout I.D. for the Internet mandates. We are confident the court will agree.”
Floridians do not have to choose between their constitutional rights, parental rights, cybersecurity or kids’ safety. NetChoice hopes to halt this law in court and work with the legislature on efforts to enhance online safety.
Top 5 Takeaways of CCIA & NetChoice v. Moody:
- Violates First Amendment rights: HB 3 violates the First Amendment because it conditions Floridians’ right to access protected speech on whether they hand over their sensitive, personal data.
- Mandates data collection on Floridians: Under HB 3’s requirements, websites will need to collect sensitive information from their users to confirm their identities, ages, and parental status, which will make Floridians hand over their sensitive documents just to access online services.
- Risks Floridians’ cybersecurity and digital safety: Because Florida’s government is mandating that websites verify identities, this will create a honeypot of sensitive information that hackers and predators will exploit. This harms the security of all internet users, especially minors, which already suffer as prime targets for data breaches.
- Puts the government in charge of parenting: Parents and guardians are best situated to control their family’s online presence—not the government. HB 3 takes away parents’ right to determine what’s best for their children and puts the state in charge of parenting online.
- Lawmakers in Florida have less restrictive options available to help create a safer online experience: Rather than implementing violative, invasive laws that harm Floridians and their families, policymakers should empower parents with meaningful, legal solutions for online safety. Those include expanding its digital educational programs from 2023, collaborating with companies to educate parents on existing safety tools, and strengthening law enforcement’s capacity to investigate and prosecute cybercriminals, ensuring that existing laws protecting children online are fully enforced.
Read the complaint here.
Learn more about our new case, CCIA & NetChoice v. Moody, here.
Please contact press@netchoice.org with inquiries.