NetChoice Cites Florida Ruling in Call to Block Similar Utah Age-Verification Measure
Trade association NetChoice asked a court Friday to consider blocking a Utah age-verification law because of its similarity to a Florida measure that was preliminarily enjoined.
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In a letter to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, NetChoice argued that the ruling in the Florida case, Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice v. Uthmeier, is relevant in the Utah suit.
“Uthmeier concluded that the Florida law violated intermediate First Amendment scrutiny," partly because the state "could have supported the multiple existing parental tools to oversee ... children online -- rather than impose governmental regulation," which is similar to the argument NetChoice makes in Utah, the letter said.
In addition, the letter argued that the Florida ruling makes clear that NetChoice and CCIA have standing.
In the Utah case, 24-4100, NetChoice asked the circuit court to side with a district court’s previous ruling (see 2409110025) and block the state's attorney general from enforcing SB-194 on First Amendment and privacy concerns (see 2505270050). However, the district court’s Magistrate Judge Cecilia Romero stayed NetChoice’s challenge of the law at the U.S. District Court for Utah while the 10th Circuit considers an appeal (see 2410210010).
SB-194, or the Utah Minor Protection in Social Media Act, requires that social media companies determine whether Utah-based account users are minors.