Florida is suing and pressing big tech harder than any other state

In a single week this month, Florida's attorney general asked a judge to limit children's access to Meta's platforms, won a court ruling that allows a social-media ban for minors, and sued the messaging app Discord. Florida is now one of the most aggressive states taking on big tech and artificial intelligence, and it is doing so against the wishes of President Trump.

What Florida did

Attorney General James Uthmeier asked a court for a temporary order requiring stronger protections for children on Meta's platforms. Florida also sued Discord, claiming it failed to protect children from predators. Discord says the lawsuit's description of the platform does not reflect what it has built. Meta declined to comment.

Florida and New Mexico were also the only two states to reject an $18 billion settlement with Meta over child-safety claims.

The OpenAI cases

The state's biggest fight is with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. In April, Florida opened a criminal probe after reviewing messages between ChatGPT and the suspected gunman in a 2025 fatal shooting at Florida State University. In June, it became the first state to file a civil lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman. It says the company knowingly released an unsafe product that facilitates self-harm and violence.

In September, Uthmeier asked a court to bar OpenAI from building new models without safety guardrails. OpenAI says ChatGPT is not responsible for the crime. It also says it wants to work with states on policies that apply to the whole industry, not one company.

What it means for families

Last week, Uthmeier pitched a bill that would require apps to determine a user's age and get parental consent before a minor downloads an app. He said parents deserve real control and companies must design for safety, not addiction.

• Apps could ask for proof of age before a download.
• A parent might have to approve a child's download.
• The bill is only a proposal for now.

Why this is a political fight

Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has cast big tech as holding too much power over society, especially children. That puts him at odds with the Trump administration. A December 2025 executive order called for a national standard that is not burdensome, rather than 50 different state ones.

Other states are also acting. California passed laws including a framework for the most advanced AI models. New York passed a law with safety and transparency rules for them. DeSantis has also hit walls, including from courts and lawmakers.

What happens next

The material does not say how the courts will rule on the requests against Meta and OpenAI, or whether the app-download bill will pass. AI and data centers are also issues in this year's Florida governor's race, and Uthmeier is running for a full term as attorney general.