TALLAHASSEE, Fl.—Today, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association will have a hearing in U.S. District Court on our request to halt HB 3, a law that fails Floridians and their families online, as our case, CCIA & NetChoice v. Uthmeier, proceeds through the legal system.
The hearing begins at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. There is not a livestream available.
“We are confident the District Court will halt HB 3 as our case proceeds so Floridians can access information online without government overreach. Florida’s ID for the internet is an unconstitutional attack on free speech and digital privacy. Forcing Floridians and minors to hand over sensitive documents just to access websites creates unnecessary barriers, endangers cybersecurity and chills lawful expression,” said Paul Taske, NetChoice Associate Director of Litigation. “We look forward to ensuring the internet is a safe and secure place for speech and innovation, free from government censorship.”
Read NetChoice and CCIA’s request for a preliminary injunction here, and learn more about CCIA & NetChoice v. Uthmeier here.
*The name of this case has been updated to reflect the appointment of Florida’s new Attorney General, James Uthmeier. This case was previously called CCIA & NetChoice v. Moody.*
Top 5 Takeaways of CCIA & NetChoice v. Uthmeier:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
Please contact press@netchoice.org with inquiries.