Social Media Giants File Lawsuit to Stop Utah from Protecting Kids Online

A landmark law in Utah, designed to limit social media use by children, faces a lawsuit from a major trade group representing social media giants. Companies including Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta and China’s TikTok are putting their resources into achieving unfettered access to young Americans.

9to5Mac reports that Utah has taken a bold step in regulating social media use among children by passing a law that requires parental consent for children using social media after 10:30 pm. This law, set to be enacted in March, has sparked a significant legal battle. The NetChoice trade group, representing prominent social media platforms like TikTok, Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram), and Snap, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Utah legislation.

This law is part of a broader trend, with states like New York considering similar measures. These include mandating parental permission for children to use apps with algorithmic feeds and enforcing parental controls like setting screen time limits, disabling notifications during late hours, and restricting access during specific times.

The lawsuit filed by NetChoice raises critical concerns about the law’s implications. It argues that the law, while well-intentioned, is unconstitutional as it restricts access to public content, compromises data security, and undermines parental rights.

Chris Marchese, Director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, emphasized the importance of fighting for digital freedom without excessive government control. “We are fighting to ensure that all Utahns can embrace digital tools without the forceful clutch of government control,” Marchese said.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R), anticipating legal pushback, has expressed unwavering support for the law, indicating the state’s readiness to defend it in court.

Read more at 9to5Mac here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.