Florida Attorney General Proposes Child Safety Law for App Stores, Social Media, and AI Chatbots

Posted: October 26, 2026

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The Florida attorney general proposed a new law to strengthen child safety guardrails for social media and AI chatbots, including requirements for age verification and parental consent before minors can buy or download apps.

While the state already prohibits social media accounts for children under 14, the proposed Safe Screens Act would impose protective design defaults for children ages 14-17, such as blocking access from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. year-round and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days. It would also ban AI chatbots from providing children with access to features that can “simulate companionship, encourage harm, generate sexual content, or claim to be human,” according to the attorney general’s October 22, 2026 announcement.

“Parents deserve real control, and companies must design for safety, not addiction,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier in a news release. “… If you invite Florida’s children onto your platform, you have a duty to keep them safe.”

This proposed legislation comes months after the state-initiated lawsuits against OpenAI and TikTok concerning child safety.

On June 1, 2026, Florida sued OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that the company falsely marketed ChatGPT to adults and children as safe while failing to warn consumers about its potential dangers. About two weeks later, Florida sued TikTok, alleging that the social media company violated state law by allowing children under 14 to create accounts and by allowing 15- and 16-year-olds to create accounts without parental consent. It also alleged TikTok deceived parents about the dangers of the app.

Florida’s action against OpenAI and Altman is the first state-led lawsuit against the defendants. Eight other states filed similar lawsuits against the tech company and CEO on October 14, 2026. Those states are Arkansas, Arizona, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and West Virginia.

Levin Papantonio’s Social Media and AI Chatbot Harm Litigation

Levin Papantonio represents families and survivors who have suffered physical, emotional, or psychological harm due to social media addiction and abuse, and AI chatbots. While state-led lawsuits are valuable for enforcing safety standards, civil lawsuits brought by individuals and families allow them to seek compensation and demand accountability from the companies responsible for their harm. For over 70 years, our firm has helped thousands of personal injury clients nationwide, recovering over $80 billion in settlements and verdicts.

If you or a loved one was harmed due to these technologies, you may have legal options. Contact us online or call (800) 277-1193 today to schedule a free, confidential case evaluation.

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