NetChoice Takes Mississippi’s Social Media Law to Supreme Court
The ongoing debate over online privacy and safety finds a new battleground in Mississippi, where a law requiring age verification for social media users faces scrutiny from the nation’s highest court. Technology trade group NetChoice has filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court to challenge this legislation.
This legal action follows a decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which recently allowed the Mississippi law to proceed. The state’s legislation, known as the Walker Montgomery Protecting Children Online Act, was signed into law by Republican Gov. Tate Reeves in April 2024. This act mandates parental consent for minors to create social media accounts and obligates digital service providers to take “commercially reasonable efforts” to confirm users’ ages.
NetChoice, whose members include major tech companies like Google, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and X, argues that the law infringes on privacy and freedom of speech. The organization contends that it should be up to families, rather than the state, to decide how children engage with social media. “Social media is the modern printing press — it allows all Americans to share their thoughts and perspectives,” stated Paul Taske, co-director of the NetChoice Litigation Center. “And, until now, Mississippians could do the same free from government interference.”
The legislation not only requires age verification but also prohibits social media companies from collecting, selling, or sharing minors’ personal information. Additionally, tech firms must implement measures to block minors from accessing “harmful material.” Named after a teenager who tragically ended his life following online sextortion, the act aims to safeguard children from online threats.
Despite a federal judge’s preliminary injunction in July 2024 to halt the law’s implementation, the New Orleans-based appeals court recently reversed that decision, favoring Mississippi’s request to proceed. State Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican, defended the law in court documents, stating it “imposes modest duties on the interactive online platforms that are especially attractive to predators.”
For more detailed coverage of this story, visit Mississippi Today, in collaboration with The Associated Press.
