Mississippi may enforce social media age verification
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Mississippi can continue enforcing its state law requiring age verification for social media use by minors, while ongoing legal challenges are resolved in court.
In an unsigned order, justices upheld a lower court ruling that sided with Mississippi and allowed the state law known as the “Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act" to take effect temporarily, as judges determine the law’s constitutionality in court, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Until a federal appeals court issues a final ruling, anyone under the age of 18 seeking to use Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, or X in the state will need to provide parental consent in order to use the social media platforms.
As is typical in such orders the justices did not provide a reason for siding with Mississippi.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh did issue a short concurring opinion, saying the social media companies failed to show that allowing the law to take effect would cause immediate harm.
Kavanaugh contended that he does believe the social media companies, represented by NetChoice LLC., a trade association that advocates for free speech, would “likely” succeed in their argument that the law violates the First Amendment down the road.
The law, enacted by the governor last April, requires social media platforms to obtain parental consent for minors wishing to use their services or face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation as well as potential criminal penalties.
The law does not apply to websites devoted to news, sports, commerce, or video games. It also exempts email and direct messages.
Approximately 12 other states have passed similar laws, seeking to protect children from data collection, online predators, and other social media harms.
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