Arkansas social media law blocked by judge hours before going into effect
Jenny Goldsberry
Video Embed
A judge temporarily paused a law restricting social media by age in Arkansas as it faces a legal challenge from a big tech trade group.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) signed the bill into law in April requiring age verification before creating any new accounts that would have gone into effect Friday. Users under the age of 18 must have the permission of their parents before joining any platform. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks, an Obama appointee, granted a preliminary injunction to NetChoice, a trade group representing TikTok, Meta, and X, formerly known as Twitter, per its request.
SOCIAL SECURITY UPDATE: DIRECT PAYMENT WORTH $914 ARRIVES IN ONE DAY
“Age-gating social media platforms for adults and minors does not appear to be an effective approach when, in reality, it is the content on particular platforms that is driving the state’s true concerns,” Brooks wrote in his ruling.
The law was slated to apply to platforms that generate more than $100 million in revenue annually. Notably, it would not have applied to LinkedIn, Google, or YouTube.
“We’re pleased the court sided with the First Amendment and stopped Arkansas’ unconstitutional law from censoring free speech online and undermining the privacy of Arkansans, their families and their businesses as our case proceeds,” Director of the NetChoice Litigation Center Chris Marchese said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing the law struck down permanently.”
“Ultimately, these types of bills from Arkansas to California represent Big Government wanting to co-opt tech companies to parent kids,” Deputy Director of State and Federal Affairs Zach Lilly posted on X. “While states should be focused on keeping kids safe, they should not undermine the role of parents or our constitutional rights in the process.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
NetChoice has also filed a lawsuit against California for attempting a similar age verification law.
Attorney General Tim Griffin promised in a statement that he “will continue to vigorously defend the law and protect our children” despite the ruling.