TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Last week, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida dismissed our case with the Computer & Communications Industry Association against HB 3, Florida’s ID for the internet, CCIA & NetChoice v. Uthmeier, claiming that we had not sufficiently demonstrated standing.
“NetChoice is disappointed in this ruling from the court, and we will consider all available legal options to ensure Florida’s unconstitutional, harmful ID for the internet is ultimately halted,” said Paul Taske, NetChoice Associate Director of Litigation. “Blocking access to free, lawful speech will not make a single Floridian safer online. Instead, it will put their security online at serious risk of breach—especially for minors. We will continue to fight to keep online communication safe and free in Florida and ensure that families are fully protected by meaningful and legal—not unconstitutional—laws.”
Read the Court’s ruling here. Find case resources for CCIA & NetChoice v. Uthmeier (2024) here.
Please contact press@netchoice.org with inquiries.
Top 5 Takeaways of CCIA & NetChoice v. Uthmeier (2024):
- 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.