A federal judge in Utah has put a hold on the implementation of social media access laws designed to protect children’s mental health and privacy, deeming them unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Shelby issued a preliminary injunction against the laws, which were set to require social media platforms to verify users’ ages, restrict certain features, and control the accounts of Utah children.

The legislation, known as the Utah Minor Protection in Social Media Act, aimed to replace previous laws from 2023 that faced constitutional challenges. However, Judge Shelby’s ruling temporarily blocks the new laws from taking effect on October 1st, following a legal challenge by NetChoice, a nonprofit representing internet companies like Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company), Snap, and X.

Governor Spencer Cox expressed disappointment at the court’s decision but emphasized the importance of safeguarding children from the negative impacts of social media. The state argued for the laws to address the unique challenges posed by social media use among youth but failed to convince the judge of a compelling state interest that justified infringing on social media companies’ First Amendment rights.

According to NetChoice, the laws would have subjected Utah residents to provide more personal information to confirm their age than what social media platforms usually collect, potentially increasing the risk of data breaches. Utah had been at the forefront of regulating children’s social media use, having previously targeted TikTok and Meta in lawsuits alleging the enticement of minors with addictive features.

The 2024 laws would have mandated stricter privacy settings for minor accounts, limiting data sharing and communication features while disabling features like autoplay and push notifications. Parents would have been granted access to their children’s accounts and had grounds to take legal action against social media companies if their child’s mental health deteriorated due to excessive platform use.

The legislation also aimed to shift the burden of proof onto social media companies, requiring them to demonstrate that their content did not contribute to a child’s mental health issues. Failure to comply could result in significant financial penalties for the companies. NetChoice has successfully obtained injunctions against similar laws in California, Arkansas, Ohio, Mississippi, and Texas, pushing for more thoughtful and constitutional solutions in the digital age.