A lawsuit has been filed against Florida over a law that prohibits social media use for children under 14 years old.

The Computing and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and the coalition NetChoice filed a lawsuit on Monday against a controversial Florida law that prohibits minors under 14 from creating social media accounts, claiming that the measure is “illegal.”

The lawsuit questions the constitutionality of law HB3, enacted in March by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, according to the EFE agency.

The 48-page document requests the court to stop the implementation of the law scheduled for January 1, 2025, arguing that the regulation is illegal as it is incompatible with the First Amendment of the Constitution, which protects freedom of speech.

According to the CCIA, the HB3 law restricts the mentioned amendment, as it requires that minors aged 14 and 15 obtain parental consent to create social media accounts.

"This social media law infringes on the First Amendment rights of both minors and adults by creating significant barriers to accessing online information that all Americans, including minors, have the right to see," noted Stephanie Joyce, vice president of CCIA.

With the permission of their parents or legal guardians, adolescents aged 14 and 15 can access these platforms, while the use is prohibited for those under 13, according to the controversial law that was passed with strong bipartisan support.

Before Governor DeSantis signed the law, the NetChoice coalition, which includes various social media platforms, had warned that the regulation was "unconstitutional" and that, in practice, it would not provide protection for the citizens of Florida.

The news portal Tampa Bay Times noted that, according to the new law, minors will need to verify their age through facial recognition or by presenting an ID to access adult sites, a series of measures that are “likely” to face a “legal challenge” and be “contested in court.”

Amid rising suicides and depression among teenagers, Florida joined other states in enacting similar restrictions on minors' access to social media following DeSantis's signing of the law.

Supporters of the bill in Florida hold social media accountable for the rise in suicide rates among teenagers, as well as for the increase in cyberbullying and cases of pedophilia.