Free Speech Coalition Motions to Block Florida's AV Measure

LOS ANGELES—The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has announced that it has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit against the state of Florida. The following is the announcement published on FSC’s blog: Free Speech Coalition and its co-plaintiffs have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, asking the US District to block enforcement of HB 3, Florida’s age-verification law. The law mandates age verification for both social media sites and sites with “material harmful to minors.” FSC filed suit against Florida, challenging the constitutionality of the law, on December 16.  “Floridians have the right to go online anonymously,” says Alison Boden, Executive Director of the Free Speech Coalition. “While keeping minors from adult content is a laudable goal, the government does not have the right to force legal adults to scan their face, upload a photo ID or otherwise give up their privacy to access the internet.” The Florida law went into effect January 1, followed quickly by word that the Attorney General’s office has already begun investigating several adult websites.  Free Speech Coalition is challenging similar laws in Louisiana, Texas, Utah, Indiana, Montana, and Florida. The Texas case, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, will be heard by the United States Supreme Court on January 15, 2025. Joining Free Speech Coalition as co-plaintiffs are creator and educator MelRose Michaels; sex education platform O.school (Deep Technologies, Inc.); sexual wellness retailer Adam & Eve (PHE, Inc.); and adult fan platform JustFor.Fans (JFF Publications, LLC). Representing Free Speech Coalition and its co-plaintiffs in this case are Jeff Sandman of Webb Daniel Friedlander LLP, D. Gill Sperlein of the Law Office of D. Gill Sperlein, and Edward M. Bearman of the Law Office of Edward M. Bearman. Motion for preliminary injunction (Free Speech Coalition v Skrmetti)