Congress should be skeptical of an AI moratorium gaining traction in defense funding negotiations, but President Donald Trump’s support for state preemption means Democrats must take the issue seriously, a senior staffer for Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Wednesday.
Social Media
Social media platforms are facing intense scrutiny over how they collect, share and monetize user data. As new state and federal laws focus on age verification, parental controls and transparency requirements, social media companies face legal risks around algorithmic targeting, third-party tracking and children's safety. This page follows key legislation, investigations and lawsuits shaping privacy practices for major social platforms.
NetChoice sued Virginia on Monday over a social media law amending the state's privacy statute. The measure under challenge amended the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act to require that social media platforms conduct age verification and set a one-hour daily time limit for users younger than 16, unless a parent consents for additional time.
New York legislators always expected the potential for amendment negotiations with Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) on recently passed comprehensive AI legislation, Assemblymember Alex Bores (D) said in a recent interview with Privacy Daily. Now running for the U.S. Congress, Bores also told us he will prioritize legislating on federal privacy, AI safety and personal data control if elected.
Opponents of social media age-verification requirements Thursday cast a Michigan bill as outdated, bad for consumer privacy and likely to draw a lawsuit. However, at the Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee hearing, sponsor Rep. Mark Tisdel (R) repeatedly said his legislation is meant to hammer home a critical concept: “Minors can’t consent.”
Maryland Delegate Adrian Boafo (D) plans to introduce a bill during the next legislative session to protect children online, particularly from social media harms, he announced during a panel at a Family Online Safety Institute event Monday. The state lawmaker also advocated for federal legislation protecting kids online, with state measures supplementing it.
TikTok must face a case accusing it of violating the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act (NDTPA) by deploying addictive social media algorithms, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday, siding with an earlier district court decision.
NetChoice "will explore all available options" after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday denied the trade association's petition to rehear a case challenging the constitutionality of a California social media addiction law. The court gave no reason for its denial.
Despite having a “laudable goal,” Colorado may not enforce a law requiring mental health warning labels on social media, the U.S. District Court for Colorado ruled in case 25-cv-2538-WJM-KAS as it granted tech industry association NetChoice’s motion for preliminary injunction on Thursday.
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Kick and Reddit meet the criteria for social media platforms that must comply with Australia's social media age restrictions starting Dec. 10, the eSafety Commissioner announced Wednesday.
Noting that many judges aren't technology experts, 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Patrick Higginbotham expressed concern Monday that many legal issues are decided using court documents instead of jury trials. “One of the frustrations” that stems from long-running litigation is that “a trial judge … never got to hear the full evidence,” he said during oral argument in CCIA v. Paxton.