Federal judge temporarily blocks Utah social media law aimed at protecting children
A federal judge in Utah has temporarily blocked a social media access law that leaders said was meant to protect the personal privacy of children and limit their use of such platforms, saying it is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Shelby on Tuesday issued the preliminary injunction against a law that would have required social media companies to verify the ages of their users, apply privacy settings and limit some features on those accounts. The law was set to take effect on Oct. 1 but will be blocked pending the outcome of the case filed by NetChoice, a nonprofit trade association for internet companies such as Google, Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — Snap and X.