The recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not to block Mississippi’s social-media law from taking effect (see 2508140048) means that a similar Tennessee law should not be blocked, either, argued Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) on 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 Ohio Social Media Parental Notification Act violates the First Amendment, and NetChoice “indisputably has standing” to bring a case, the trade association argued Friday at the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
A Georgia law that would require age verification and parental consent for minors to create social media accounts is not content-based nor does it violate the First Amendment, said a bipartisan coalition of 31 states in an amicus brief Wednesday at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should grant a rehearing en banc in a lawsuit seeking to block a California law that makes it illegal for platforms to provide addictive feeds to minors, NetChoice said in a Tuesday filing (see 2509090049).
A federal appeals court should affirm a lower court’s decision and block Florida’s social media ban on children because it violates the First Amendment, the American Civil Liberties Union and consumer groups said in a filing Friday, siding with the tech industry (see 2509120040). The groups also highlighted privacy concerns related to age verification (docket 25-11881).
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.
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.