A federal judge has issued a temporary block on an Arkansas law that mandates parental consent for children to create social media accounts. The decision was made by District Judge Timothy L. Brooks of the Western District of Arkansas in response to a motion from Netchoice, a trade group representing technology companies including Facebook’s parent company Meta, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
The law was set to go into effect on Friday, but the temporary injunction has put it on hold. Chris Marchese, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision and emphasized the importance of protecting free speech online and the privacy of individuals, families, and businesses in Arkansas. Marchese looks forward to the permanent invalidation of the law.
In March, Utah became the first state to pass a law requiring parental consent for minors to open social media accounts, but its enforcement is scheduled to begin on March 1, 2024. Georgia Republicans have also recently announced their intention to introduce a similar law during the state’s 2024 legislative session, aiming to compel social media platforms to verify the age of their users.
The Hill has approached the Arkansas Attorney General’s office for comment on the matter.
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