Federal Judge Rejected, Utah Cancels Implementation Of Social Media Restrictions On Children

The Utah government has canceled a new law that should limit the use of social media for children. This cancellation occurred because of a decision made by a federal judge.

Reporting from Reuters, US District Judge Robert Maritime made a preliminary ruling on Tuesday, September 10. The judge agreed with NetChoice's lawsuit stating that the latest law from the government had violated the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

Although the goal is good, namely to overcome mental health problems in children, this law should be at the level of constitutional supervision. What's more, this law requires social media to verify the user's age.

"The court recognizes the country's sincere desire to protect young people from new challenges related to the use of social media," wrote cap in its decree. "(However, this law) must meet a very high level of constitutional oversight."

After being blocked by a federal judge, Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes revealed that his office was investigating and analyzing the decision to take further steps. It seems that Utah is still trying to defend the law.

"We remain committed to protecting the young Utah from the bad effects of social media," Reyes said when asked about their response to the federal judge's refusal.

The Underage Child Protection Act on Utah Social Media has been signed by Republican Governor Spencer Cox. Supposedly, this law will take effect from October 1 so that all social media companies must prepare an age verification tool.

However, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, and, platform X who are members of NetChoice agreed to challenge the law. According to them, Utah's latest rules impose unjustified restrictions.