A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked an Arkansas law forcing social media companies to verify users’ ages and requiring that minors get parental consent to set up account.
Tech industry trade group NetChoice in June sued to strike down the state law as unconstitutional, arguing it violated users’ First Amendment rights and imposed “onerous obligations” on digital platforms.
In granting NetChoice’s request for a preliminary injunction against the law, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Brooks expressed deep reservations about its constitutionality and efficacy.
Brooks wrote that the law “is not targeted to address the harms it has identified, and further research is necessary before the State may begin to construct a regulation that is narrowly tailored to address the harms that minors face due to prolonged use of certain social media.”
The law, which was supposed to take effect Friday, marks the latest in a bevy of attempts at the state level to restrict or ban minors’ access to social media over concerns that the platforms exacerbate mental health issues for younger users.
