Latest news with #SB351
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Social media giants ask judge to block Georgia age verification law
Social media companies have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Georgia law that would create new online age restrictions for minors. A June 3 hearing was held in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia in downtown Atlanta. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder A federal judge heard arguments this week on a Georgia law aimed at restricting social media use for minors and requiring Georgians to confirm their age before viewing adult websites. Judge Amy Totenberg of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia announced at the Tuesday hearing that she will determine soon whether to hear more evidence regarding a lawsuit by a group called NetChoice to stop the law. NetChoice represents various internet-based services, including powerful businesses like Google and Meta, as well as smaller companies like online journal site Dreamwidth Studios. On the same day, a Florida judge blocked sections of a similar Florida law. Children under the age of 16 would need parental consent to open social media accounts under the new Georgia law, which is set to go into effect July 1. NetChoice filed a lawsuit in May seeking to prevent that from happening. The companies claim the rules violate young people's First Amendment rights, as well as place unnecessary burdens on social media companies. Attorneys also argued the revised rules strip away some of the flexibility of parents monitoring what online sites their children are accessing. Jeremy Maltz, an attorney representing NetChoice in the lawsuit, argued at Tuesday's court hearing that many people using online websites affected by the Georgia law would consider it an invasion of privacy if they had to use sensitive information to create an account. The plaintiffs argue that adults could face a burden if companies require them to potentially give companies driver licenses, banking or credit card information or use facial recognition software in order to access user-generated online sites. Data breaches and other cyber security threats could be increased by the new age guidelines, Maltz said. 'We know people are going to have to provide some sort of information to access protected speech,' he said. And despite the law exempting educational, public safety, and professional networking platforms, Martz said it would also create new verification hurdles even for innocuous sites such as college football and recipe message boards. 'This bill targets minors at the places where minors go to engage in free speech,' Maltz said. Republican state lawmakers push for Georgia law to require proof of adulthood to view adult websites Georgia lawmakers passed SB 351 in 2024 with bipartisan support. Logan Winkles, a state deputy attorney general, said that social media is designed to drive engagement and promote addiction, and the intent of legislators in passing the law was to protect children from adult bad actors online. 'Everyone agrees that social media poses some risk to children,' Winkles said. NetChoice successfully overturned similar laws in Arkansas and Ohio after arguing they unfairly censored free speech on online platforms. The bill requires social media companies to make commercially reasonable efforts to verify the age of their users, which can be done through methods including banking and credit card accounts, facial and fingerprint recognition software scanning. The Age Verification Providers Association, which supports third-party age verification businesses, reports that about a dozen states have passed laws restricting or requiring parents to consent to minors accessing social media. In several states, including Arkansas, California and Ohio, court orders have been issued to block the provisions of the law. As of May, the age verification group listed Georgia among the 24 states that have passed laws requiring age verification to access online pornography. Opponents say such laws could create privacy concerns and prevent people from accessing constitutionally protected speech. Winkles said at Tuesday's hearing that legislators and Gov. Brian Kemp backed the law to protect more kids and teens from social media sites that lead to higher rates of bullying and mental health problems such as depression and that technology can estimate a person's age without revealing their identity. 'What we know is there are many other ways to verify ID other than showing government ID,' Winkles said. But Totenberg questioned the verification processes. 'It doesn't seem very precise,' Totenberg said. 'It's a highly subjective standard and I'm not sure what it ultimately means.' The law allows parents and guardians to file complaints with the attorney general office if they believe a company isn't complying with age verification. Violations of the law may result in a fine of up to $2,500 per violation. On Tuesday, federal Judge Mark Walker of the northern district of Florida blocked sections of Florida's law banning children under 14 from having social media accounts and requiring parents' approval for teens as old as 16 while expressing concerns about social media's adverse effects on children. Georgia attorneys contend that the state's new social media rules stand up to legal scrutiny and differ from states like Florida, which limited companies' ability to control user-posted content. Right wing officials from several states have expressed concerns about social media companies blocking conservative viewpoints. John Acevedo, an Emory University constitutional law professor, pointed out that when it's pornography, there has been a legal history showing a legitimate interest in protecting children. 'Really, it's not controversial to put an age requirement in, but the controversy is the manner in which the age requirement is implemented,' he said Wednesday. 'Conversely, in social media there's a controversy over whether we should even limit social media at all to any age group.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia sued over new social media parental consent law
The Brief Georgia's new law that requires children younger than 16 to get parental permission to create social media accounts has been challenged a month before restrictions were supposed to go into effect. The industry trade group that filed the lawsuit says the law unconstitutionally blocks access to protected online speech. Georgia lawmakers maintain that the law protects children, and they say that they will defend it. ATLANTA - A new Georgia law requiring parental consent for children to use social media has been challenged in court. The suit is asking a federal judge to declare the law unconstitutional because it violates First Amendment rights to free speech and 14th Amendment rights to due process. The backstory Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 351 into law in 2024. The law requires children younger than 16 to have their parents' explicit permission to create social media accounts. Companies would be required to verify users' ages by July 1, 2025. Social media companies would also be limited in how they could customize ads for children younger than 16 and how much information they could collect on those children, a provision that Thursday's lawsuit by NetChoice, an industry group, also argues is illegal. Officials said the law's primary aim was to combat cyberbullying and address concerns surrounding youth mental health in relation to social media use. Similar laws have been overturned by federal judges in Arkansas and Ohio and temporarily blocked in Utah. Litigation is pending against laws in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. What they're saying "Georgia's SB 351 unconstitutionally blocks access to protected online speech and forces Georgians to surrender their private information just to use everyday digital services," Paul Taske, NetChoice associate director of litigation, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. "That's unconstitutional, as several other states have now been told by courts. We're fighting to keep online communication safe and free in the Peach State." NetChoice spokesperson Krista Chavez said the group is not challenging a separate section of the Georgia law that requires age verification for users of online pornography sites. A number of states have made laws aimed at pornography, and a challenge to Texas' law is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. The other side Georgia officials said they will defend the measure. "It's a shame that the industry would rather file a lawsuit than partner with us to protect children from online predators," Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican running for governor in 2026, said in a statement. Republican state Sen. Jason Anavitarte, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement that he "won't stop working to give Georgia's parents the tools they need to help keep kids safe online." Dig deeper The fight pits a growing movement that social media use is harmful to children and teens against constitutional protections for free speech. While the laws in Georgia and other states require parental consent, Australia, a country without constitutional free speech protections, has banned social media for children younger than 16 altogether. Some in the U.S. Congress have also proposed parental consent for minors. To comply with federal regulations, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up for their platforms. But children have been shown to easily evade the bans. Up to 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use them "almost constantly," the Pew Research Center found. The Source Information for this report came from a story by the Associated Press.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia becomes 8th state to be sued over age verification for children on websites
Georgia on Thursday became the eighth state to see its law requiring parental consent for children to use social media challenged in court. NetChoice, a technology industry trade group, sued in federal court in Atlanta to overturn the law, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1. Similar laws have been overturned by federal judges in Arkansas and Ohio and temporarily blocked in Utah. Litigation is pending against laws in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The fight pits a growing movement that social media use is harmful to children and teens against constitutional protections for free speech. While the laws in Georgia and other states require parental consent, Australia, a country without constitutional free speech protections, has banned social media for children younger than 16 altogether. Some in the U.S. Congress have also proposed parental consent for minors. TRENDING STORIES: Ex-GA school bus driver charged after multiple students attack 7-year-old during route, deputies say Griffin couple sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to trying to starve 10-year-old Missing 85-year-old man with dementia found dead 'Georgia's SB 351 unconstitutionally blocks access to protected online speech and forces Georgians to surrender their private information just to use everyday digital services,' Paul Taske, NetChoice associate director of litigation, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. 'That's unconstitutional, as several other states have now been told by courts. We're fighting to keep online communication safe and free in the Peach State.' The suit asks U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg to declare the law unconstitutional because it violates First Amendment rights to free speech and 14th Amendment rights to due process. Georgia officials said they will defend the measure. 'It's a shame that the industry would rather file a lawsuit than partner with us to protect children from online predators,' Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican running for governor in 2026, said in a statement. Republican state Sen. Jason Anavitarte, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement that he 'won't stop working to give Georgia's parents the tools they need to help keep kids safe online.' NetChoice spokesperson Krista Chavez said the group is not challenging a separate section of the Georgia law that requires age verification for users of online pornography sites. A number of states have made laws aimed at pornography, and a challenge to Texas' law is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Georgia's law says social media services must use 'commercially reasonable efforts' to verify someone's age by July 1. Services would have to treat anyone who can't be verified as a minor. Parents of children younger than 16 would have to consent to their children joining a service. Social media companies would be limited in how they could customize ads for children younger than 16 and how much information they could collect on those children, a provision that Thursday's lawsuit also argues is illegal. To comply with federal regulations, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up for their platforms. 'Parents have many existing tools they can choose from to regulate whether and how their minor children use the internet,' the lawsuit states. But children have been shown to easily evade the bans. Up to 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use them 'almost constantly,' the Pew Research Center found.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia is the 8th state sued over age verification for children on websites
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia on Thursday became the eighth state to see its law requiring parental consent for children to use social media challenged in court. NetChoice, a technology industry trade group, sued in federal court in Atlanta to overturn the law, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1. Similar laws have been overturned by federal judges in Arkansas and Ohio and temporarily blocked in Utah. Litigation is pending against laws in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The fight pits a growing movement that social media use is harmful to children and teens against constitutional protections for free speech. While the laws in Georgia and other states require parental consent, Australia, a country without constitutional free speech protections, has banned social media for children younger than 16 altogether. Some in the U.S. Congress have also proposed parental consent for minors. 'Georgia's SB 351 unconstitutionally blocks access to protected online speech and forces Georgians to surrender their private information just to use everyday digital services," Paul Taske, NetChoice associate director of litigation, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. "That's unconstitutional, as several other states have now been told by courts. We're fighting to keep online communication safe and free in the Peach State.' The suit asks U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg to declare the law unconstitutional because it violates First Amendment rights to free speech and 14th Amendment rights to due process. Georgia officials said they will defend the measure. 'It's a shame that the industry would rather file a lawsuit than partner with us to protect children from online predators,' Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican running for governor in 2026, said in a statement. Republican state Sen. Jason Anavitarte, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement that he 'won't stop working to give Georgia's parents the tools they need to help keep kids safe online.' NetChoice spokesperson Krista Chavez said the group is not challenging a separate section of the Georgia law that requires age verification for users of online pornography sites. A number of states have made laws aimed at pornography, and a challenge to Texas' law is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Georgia's law says social media services must use 'commercially reasonable efforts' to verify someone's age by July 1. Services would have to treat anyone who can't be verified as a minor. Parents of children younger than 16 would have to consent to their children joining a service. Social media companies would be limited in how they could customize ads for children younger than 16 and how much information they could collect on those children, a provision that Thursday's lawsuit also argues is illegal. To comply with federal regulations, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up for their platforms. 'Parents have many existing tools they can choose from to regulate whether and how their minor children use the internet,' the lawsuit states. But children have been shown to easily evade the bans. Up to 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use them 'almost constantly,' the Pew Research Center found.
Winnipeg Free Press
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Georgia is the 8th state sued over age verification for children on websites
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia on Thursday became the eighth state to see its law requiring parental consent for children to use social media challenged in court. NetChoice, a technology industry trade group, sued in federal court in Atlanta to overturn the law, which is scheduled to take effect on July 1. Similar laws have been overturned by federal judges in Arkansas and Ohio and temporarily blocked in Utah. Litigation is pending against laws in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. The fight pits a growing movement that social media use is harmful to children and teens against constitutional protections for free speech. While the laws in Georgia and other states require parental consent, Australia, a country without constitutional free speech protections, has banned social media for children younger than 16 altogether. Some in the U.S. Congress have also proposed parental consent for minors. 'Georgia's SB 351 unconstitutionally blocks access to protected online speech and forces Georgians to surrender their private information just to use everyday digital services,' Paul Taske, NetChoice associate director of litigation, said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. 'That's unconstitutional, as several other states have now been told by courts. We're fighting to keep online communication safe and free in the Peach State.' The suit asks U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg to declare the law unconstitutional because it violates First Amendment rights to free speech and 14th Amendment rights to due process. Georgia officials said they will defend the measure. 'It's a shame that the industry would rather file a lawsuit than partner with us to protect children from online predators,' said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican running for governor in 2026. NetChoice spokesperson Krista Chavez said the group is not challenging a separate section of the Georgia law that requires age verification for users of online pornography sites. A number of states have made laws aimed at pornography, and a challenge to Texas' law is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Georgia's law says social media services must use 'commercially reasonable efforts' to verify someone's age by July 1. Services would have to treat anyone who can't be verified as a minor. Parents of children younger than 16 would have to consent to their children joining a service. Social media companies would be limited in how they could customize ads for children younger than 16 and how much information they could collect on those children, a provision that Thursday's lawsuit also argues is illegal. To comply with federal regulations, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up for their platforms. 'Parents have many existing tools they can choose from to regulate whether and how their minor children use the internet,' the lawsuit states. But children have been shown to easily evade the bans. Up to 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use them 'almost constantly,' the Pew Research Center found.
