A federal court has given Mississippi the green light to enact a law requiring social media users to verify their age, a move that has been met with approval from parental activists and criticism from tech industry groups.
A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overruled a federal district court decision blocking implementation of the law last year. It was initially set to take effect in July 2024 prior to U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden’s ruling to block implementation of the law.
“Enacted after a sextortion scheme on Instagram led a 16-year-old Mississippian to take his own life, the Act imposes modest duties on the interactive online platforms that are especially attractive to predators,” Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch wrote in court documents that urged the court to let the law take effect….