The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled oral argument for Nov. 3 concerning a 2023 Texas age-verification law (case 24-50721). The hearing starts at 9 a.m. CT in New Orleans, the court said Friday.
NetChoice Lawsuits
NetChoice lawsuits involve a series of high-profile legal challenges brought by the tech industry trade group NetChoice against state laws regulating online content moderation and user data practices. The group has sued states including Texas and Florida, arguing that their social media laws violate the First Amendment and conflict with federal protections for online platforms. These cases, now before federal appeals courts and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court, could set sweeping precedents for how states can govern digital platforms’ handling of speech, privacy, and user data.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice asked an appeals court to affirm a ruling to preliminarily block a Florida law that would ban kids from social media since it likely violates the First Amendment.
NetChoice raised constitutional concerns Wednesday with Colorado's draft kids privacy regulations. Known for suing states over age-verification laws, the trade group and three other industry associations testified virtually at a Colorado Department of Law hearing on the same day as a deadline for written comments. “These rules will not survive a legal challenge,” said Patrick Hedger, NetChoice's policy director.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed to stand most of a California law that makes it illegal for internet-based services and applications to provide an addictive feed to users younger than 18, unless the operator doesn't know the user is a minor.
Though using age assurance to access certain online platforms and websites is the route policymakers frequently take hoping to protect children online, it can end up doing more harm than good, multiple privacy organizations said in recent papers and blog posts.
A federal court erred when it declined to block a Tennessee age-verification law, NetChoice said Wednesday. The trade association asked the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the district court decision and issue a preliminary injunction against HB-1891, which requires that social media companies verify the age of account holders and gain parental consent from users younger than 18 before they can open accounts
The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) asked a federal court Tuesday to permanently block a Florida social media law that would prohibit kids 13 and younger from creating social media accounts through required age verification.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals scheduled oral argument on NetChoice's challenge of a Utah age-verification law for Nov. 20 at 9 a.m. MT.
The as-applied challenges and vagueness challenge in NetChoice's amended complaint in a case against a Tennessee age-verification law should be dismissed, argued Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Tuesday. In case 3:24-cv-01191, NetChoice argued the statute violates the First Amendment and other privacy measures (see 2501170070), but the U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee declined to preliminarily enjoin HB-1891 in June (see 2506200017).
An Ohio law requiring websites targeting children younger than 18 to obtain parental consent before engaging in contracts with minors is not a violation of the First Amendment, said a bipartisan coalition of 31 states plus the District of Columbia in a joint amicus brief to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday. Later that day, South Carolina filed a document joining the coalition in asking the court to reverse a district court's 2024 decision to block the law (see 2402130041).