Arkansas Judge Kills Social Media Age Verification Law, Says It Violates the First Amendment

A judge in Arkansas has shut down the state’s law requiring some social networks to verify the ages of those in the state to create an account and ensure that minors have parental permission. Judge Timothy L. Brooks ruled the law, dubbed the Social Media Safety Act, was too broad as to violate the First Amendment rights of internet users and was so vague it was unclear which social networks the law would cover. “Arkansas takes a hatchet to adults’ and minors’ protected speech alike though the Constitution demands it use a scalpel,” the US District Court for the Western District of Arkansas wrote in an opinion issued Monday. Lawmakers across the United States and abroad have sought to protect minors against the potential long-term harms posed by social media, and smartphone access writ large. Utah recently passed a law that requires app stores from Apple and Google to verify the ages of users before they can download apps and requires minors to have accounts connected to their parents ... Read full article.