Supreme Court opens door to social media age-gating in US
1 min read
Summary
The US Supreme Court has allowed a Mississippi law making social media companies verify users’ ages to take effect, while it considers a constitutional challenge.
The law, which was backed by tech companies including Meta, Google, Amazon, Reddit and Discord, is opposed by trade association NetChoice, whose lawsuit claims it violates the First Amendment as it restricts the user basis of platforms.
The Supreme Court has not blocked the law after NetChoice appealed for a temporary injunction, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh ruling that it was likely unconstitutional, but said the group hadn’t made a strong-enough case for harm.
The decision comes as countries globally look to introduce age verification mandates to protect young users from harmful internet content.