Arkansas Social Media Verification Law Struck Down by Judge (1)

Arkansas’ youth-focused Social Media Safety Act infringes on the First Amendment rights of internet users and is unconstitutionally vague, a federal trial court judge ruled in a victory for Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. and other social media companies.

The law—known as Act 689— required certain social media companies to verify the ages of those in the state seeking to create an account and check to ensure that minors have parental permission. However the law isn’t narrowly tailored to address the state’s interests in protecting minors from objectionable content, the US District Court for the Western District of Arkansas said. ...