Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against multiple online pornography websites for violating HB 3, which requires age verification to prevent minors from accessing harmful content. The companies, including XVideos.com and XNXX.com, have failed to implement age verification since the law took effect on January 1, 2025. The lawsuit seeks to enforce HB 3 and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act to protect children from exposure to explicit material.
In-house legal teams should review vendor agreements with age verification service providers, customer terms of service, and data processing agreements for clauses ensuring compliance with HB 3 and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. Key clauses to examine include age verification requirements, restrictions on minor access to explicit content, data handling for age verification, indemnification for violations, and audit provisions. Necessary changes may involve implementing robust age verification systems, updating terms to mandate HB 3 compliance, incorporating penalties for non-compliance, and ensuring that age-related data collection adheres to privacy laws. Regular compliance audits and certifications should also be considered.
Entity
WebGroup Czech Republic, a.s.; NKL Associates, s.r.o.; Sonesta Technologies, s.r.o.; Sonesta Media, s.r.o.; Sonesta Technologies, Inc.; GGW Group, s.r.o.; GTFlix TV, s.r.o.; GGW Group, LLC; Traffic F, s.r.o.
Also known as: WebGroup Czech Republic, NKL Associates, Sonesta Technologies, Sonesta Media, GGW Group, GTFlix TV, Traffic F
Industry
Media & Entertainment"WebGroup Czech Republic, a.s. d/b/a XVideos.com, NKL Associates, s.r.o. d/b/a XNXX.com, Sonesta Technologies, s.r.o. d/b/a BangBros.com, Sonesta Media, s.r.o. d/b/a BangBros.com, Sonesta Technologies, Inc. d/b/a BangBros.com, GGW Group, s.r.o d/b/a GirlsGoneWild.com, GTFlix TV, s.r.o d/b/a GirlsGoneWild.com, GGW Group, LLC d/b/a GirlsGoneWild.com, and pornographic advertiser Traffic F, s.r.o. d/b/a TrafficFactory.com"
"Florida enacted HB 3"
"Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act"
"not requiring age verification before accessing adult content"
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opened a civil investigation into Discord and issued a subpoena demanding documents related to its marketing to children, age-verification processes, content moderation, parental controls, and reporting of child exploitative activity. The investigation alleges potential violations of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, citing the platform’s widespread use by child predators to target minors. Discord must produce records on its child safety practices, minor user data, and complaint handling related to child exploitation.
The Florida Attorney General's Office launched the CHINA Prevention Unit and issued a subpoena to Shein for deceptive trade practices and data privacy violations. The unit focuses on combating threats from foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party to consumer data and economic security. This action is part of broader efforts to audit and hold accountable companies with ties to China.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Roblox, alleging that the company misrepresented the safety of its platform to parents and failed to protect children from accessing adult content and being contacted by predators. The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief and other remedies to ensure child safety on the platform.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an investigative subpoena to TP-Link Systems Inc. as part of a consumer protection investigation into the company’s cybersecurity practices, supply-chain infrastructure, and handling of U.S. consumer data, including allegations of unauthorized data sharing with the Chinese Communist Party. The probe will determine if TP-Link misled customers about foreign government access to their personal data, which would violate the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, with no findings of wrongdoing yet.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a civil enforcement action against Roku, Inc. for violating the Florida Digital Bill of Rights (FDBOR) and Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). The complaint alleges Roku collected, sold, and enabled reidentification of children’s sensitive personal data, including viewing habits and voice recordings, without parental consent or meaningful notice to consumers. The state seeks civil penalties, injunctive relief, and requirements for Roku to implement transparent disclosures, lawful parental controls, and cease unauthorized processing of children’s data.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed complaints against multiple pornography websites for violating Florida's age-verification law by not verifying users' ages, allowing children access to harmful material. The law requires such sites to implement age verification, and violations can result in fines up to $50,000 per violation. The complaints seek injunctions, civil penalties, and compliance with the law.