Federal Judge Blocks Utah's Youth Social Media Law

The law, aimed at protecting children's mental health, was halted due to First Amendment concerns.

U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby issued a preliminary injunction against the Utah Minor Protection in Social Media Act, citing First Amendment violations.
The law would have required social media companies to verify users' ages and impose restrictions on minors' accounts, including disabling features like autoplay and push notifications.
NetChoice, a trade group representing tech giants like Meta, Google, and Snap, argued that the law imposed unjustified, content-based restrictions on free speech.
Governor Spencer Cox, who signed the law in March, expressed disappointment but emphasized the state's commitment to protecting children from social media harms.
Similar social media laws have been blocked in other states, including California, Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio, and Texas, following legal challenges from NetChoice.