Mississippi law restricting children's social media use blocked

A federal judge blocked Mississippi from enforcing a new law that requires users of social media platforms to verify their ages.

A federal judge on Monday blocked Mississippi from enforcing a new law that requires users of social media platforms to verify their ages and restricts access by minors to their sites if they lack parental consent, saying it was likely unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden in Gulfport, Mississippi, sided with tech industry trade group NetChoice in finding the law unduly restricted its users' free speech rights in violation of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

It marked the latest ruling in which a court blocked a state law designed to protect young people online as lawmakers nationwide look for ways to address rising concerns about the dangers posed by social media to the mental health of children.

The measure, which was set to take effect on Monday, required all users to verify their ages before they could open accounts and required minors under 18 to obtain parental consent to do so.

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NetChoice, whose members include Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Alphabet's YouTube, Snap Inc.'s Snapchat and Elon Musk's X, sued in June, arguing the law, H.B. 1126, signed into law by Republican Governor Tate Reeves, stifled users' free speech and would force online businesses to censor speech.

Ozerden, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush, agreed, saying "that a substantial number, if not all, of H.B. 1126’s applications are unconstitutional judged in relation to its legitimate sweep."