Fla. AG James Uthmeier on Suing SnapChat: ‘We Will Not Let Companies Cash in on Kids and Expose Them to Danger’

DOOCY Well listen to ░░░░░░░░ that guy right there ░░░░░░░░ s attorney general has ░░░░░░░░ he is suing Snapchat ░░░░░░░░ social media firm for ░░░░░░░░ to comply with Florida ░░░░░░░░ law that protects children ░░░░░░░░ social media The lawsuit ░░░░░░░░ the app s features ░░░░░░░░ addictive to kids and ░░░░░░░░ lets children under 13 ░░░░░░░░ accounts That guy in ░░░░░░░░ picture Attorney General James ░░░░░░░░ joins us right now ░░░░░░░░ Tallahassee Good morning to ░░░░░░░░ Mr Attorney General UTHMEIER ░░░░░░░░ morning Thanks for having ░░░░░░░░ DOOCY You bet So ░░░░░░░░ is Snapchat doing that ░░░░░░░░ want them to change ░░░░░░░░ Yeah look in Florida ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ companies cash in on ░░░░░░░░ kids and expose them ░░░░░░░░ danger Snapchat is violating ░░░░░░░░ s law in several ░░░░░░░░ First they re creating ░░░░░░░░ features you know unlimited ░░░░░░░░ live videos push notifications ░░░░░░░░ have evidence that corporate ░░░░░░░░ wants to create these ░░░░░░░░ in a way to ░░░░░░░░ kids on them all ░░░░░░░░ long And then you ░░░░░░░░ the way the app ░░░░░░░░ is messages and things ░░░░░░░░ right away which make ░░░░░░░░ the preferred venue for ░░░░░░░░ and sex offenders to ░░░░░░░░ in pretend to be ░░░░░░░░ people seduce our kids ░░░░░░░░ them harmful conduct and ░░░░░░░░ some cases try to ░░░░░░░░ up meetings So it ░░░░░░░░ dangerous Snap has not ░░░░░░░░ as willing as other ░░░░░░░░ media platforms to work ░░░░░░░░ our state to try ░░░░░░░░ include protective measures and ░░░░░░░░ re going to hold ░░░░░░░░ accountable DOOCY Indeed Snapchat ░░░░░░░░ out a statement Mr ░░░░░░░░ General They say this ░░░░░░░░ Florida law The Florida ░░░░░░░░ does not adequately address ░░░░░░░░ verification and infringes on ░░░░░░░░ First Amendment rights of ░░░░░░░░ and young people while ░░░░░░░░ opening Floridians up to ░░░░░░░░ protection and privacy issues ░░░░░░░░ is a current challenge ░░░░░░░░ the constitutionality of the ░░░░░░░░ pending in federal court ░░░░░░░░ Florida and we hope ░░░░░░░░ the state will allow ░░░░░░░░ challenge to proceed through ░░░░░░░░ proper legal process So ░░░░░░░░ sounds like Snapchat Mr ░░░░░░░░ General was like OK ░░░░░░░░ is in the courts ░░░░░░░░ they can t go ░░░░░░░░ with it until it ░░░░░░░░ through the courts What ░░░░░░░░ you say to Snapchat ░░░░░░░░ As long as this ░░░░░░░░ the valid law of ░░░░░░░░ land we are going ░░░░░░░░ enforce it You know ░░░░░░░░ do have some First ░░░░░░░░ protections yes but they ░░░░░░░░ have a duty to ░░░░░░░░ our most vulnerable our ░░░░░░░░ And 12 and 13 ░░░░░░░░ olds they re not ░░░░░░░░ to access these applications ░░░░░░░░ Florida Older teenagers 14 ░░░░░░░░ 15 can use them ░░░░░░░░ long as there s ░░░░░░░░ consent and that parents ░░░░░░░░ log in and figure ░░░░░░░░ what protocols they can ░░░░░░░░ to help monitor and ░░░░░░░░ their kids But if ░░░░░░░░ they re operating in ░░░░░░░░ cavalier way if they ░░░░░░░░ allowing predators we just ░░░░░░░░ another example last week ░░░░░░░░ a registered child sex ░░░░░░░░ was operating for months ░░░░░░░░ to trick kids into ░░░░░░░░ things that are dangerous ░░░░░░░░ doesn t fly in ░░░░░░░░ DOOCY Right UTHMEIER and ░░░░░░░░ m going to stand ░░░░░░░░ the way.”