"Judge Temporarily Halts Arkansas Law Requiring Parental Consent for Minors on Social Media"

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing a new law that would have required parental consent for minors to create social media accounts, preventing the state from becoming the first to impose such a restriction. The judge granted a preliminary injunction requested by tech industry trade group NetChoice, stating that the group was likely to succeed in its challenge to the law's constitutionality. The judge questioned the effectiveness of the restrictions and highlighted concerns over the law's exemptions and lack of clarity in defining which platforms would be subject to the age-verification requirement. Similar laws have been enacted in Utah, Texas, and Louisiana, while top Republicans in Georgia and some members of Congress have proposed similar legislation.