Judges for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeared split during oral argument Tuesday in NetChoice v Fitch, which deals with a Mississippi kids online safety law. NetChoice sued Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R) last year over HB-1126, alleging that it violates the First Amendment and that its age-verification requirement poses privacy problems (see 2501310041).
Oklahoma Rep. Josh West (R) said he won't bring his comprehensive privacy bill to the floor this year, despite the House Government Modernization and Technology Subcommittee clearing it at a Wednesday meeting. The panel also cleared an age-verification bill.
The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would restrict children’s social media use and targeted ads, despite concerns about data privacy and free speech (see 2502040047).
The Senate Commerce Committee expects to pass legislation banning social media use for children younger than 13 during Wednesday’s markup, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and committee members told us Tuesday.
NetChoice challenged the Maryland Age-Appropriate Design Code (MAADC) Act that introduced new compliance requirements for companies reasonably assumed to be accessible to minors. The tech industry group filed a lawsuit Monday against Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown (D), alleging that the law restricts free speech and invades privacy through age-verification requirements.
The age-verification technology at issue in a pending U.S. Supreme Court case raises major privacy concerns, said Jennifer Huddleston, senior fellow in technology policy at the Cato Institute. Huddleston discussed with Free State Foundation adjunct senior fellow Mike O'Rielly the justices' argument earlier this month on a Texas age-verification law (see 2501130012 and 2501150073).
The Wyoming Senate received a bill requiring age verification Friday after the House approved it a day earlier.
Utah and Arizona bills requiring age verification online advanced in committee votes this week. Many states are mulling legislation this year focused on protecting kids on certain websites (see 2501170053).
Industry and consumer advocates on Wednesday voiced opposition against two kids’ social media bills that the Senate Commerce Committee is planning to take up.
The Indiana Senate voted 42-7 to approve an age-verification bill on Thursday, sending it to the House. The proposed online safety measure (SB-11) would prohibit kids 15 years old and younger from accessing social media unless they have parental permission.