A law in Mississippi mandating social media users to confirm their age can now be implemented, following a ruling by a federal court. However, a tech industry group has vowed to continue opposing the law, claiming it violates users’ privacy and freedom of expression rights.
A three-judge panel from the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overturned a prior decision by a federal district judge that aimed to prevent the 2024 law from being enacted. This development is part of ongoing legal battles concerning similar laws in different states.
There is growing worry among parents—and some teenagers—about how social media affects young individuals. Proponents of such laws argue they are essential to managing the surge in social media usage among youth, which researchers link to a rise in depression and anxiety.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch argued in a court filing defending the law that steps such as age verification for digital sites could mitigate harm caused by “sex trafficking, sexual abuse, child pornography, targeted harassment, sextortion, incitement to suicide and self-harm, and other harmful and often illegal conduct against children.”
Attorneys for NetChoice, which brought the lawsuit, have pledged to continue their court challenge, arguing the law threatens privacy rights and unconstitutionally restricts the free expression of users of all ages.
The industry group, which has filed similar lawsuits in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Utah, represents some of the country’s most high-profile technology companies, including Google, which owns YouTube; Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat; and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
In a written statement, Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, said the group is “very disappointed” in the decision to let Mississippi’s law go into effect and is “considering all available options.”
“NetChoice will continue to fight against this egregious infringement on access to fully protected speech online,” Taske said. “Parents — not the government — should determine what is right for their families.”
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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