Mississippi law restricting children's social media use blocked
https://www.reuters.com/legal/mississippi-law-restricting-childrens-social-media-use-blocked-2024-07-01/
Mississippi law restricting children's social media use blocked
By Nate Raymond
July 1, 2024 6:52 PM EDT Updated 8 min ago
July 1 (Reuters) - 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, opens new tab 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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