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   "Unconstitutional": Federal judge blocks Arkansas social media safety law   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:56:14 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   A federal judge has hit pause on Arkansas's controversial social media law,   
   ruling that Act 901 likely violates the First Amendment. Here is what you    
   need to know.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   A US federal judge has temporarily blocked a new Arkansas law intended to    
   hold social media companies liable for harmful effects on users, ruling that   
   the legislation is "likely unconstitutional."    
      
   On Monday, US District Judge Timothy L. Brooks granted a preliminary   
   injunction against the Arkansas Act 901, according to local reports . The   
   ruling prevents Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin from enforcing   
   provisions that would have penalized platforms for using designs or    
   algorithms that lead to addiction, drug use, or self-harm.    
      
   This legal battle in Fayetteville is the latest flashpoint as US states   
   attempt to regulate online spaces. While similar legislative pushes regarding   
   strict age verification measures have prompted some privacy-conscious   
   Americans to use the best VPN services to maintain access to information   
   without handing over government ID, this specific ruling focuses heavily on   
   the First Amendment rights of the platforms themselves.   
      
   "Void for vagueness"   
      
   The lawsuit was brought by NetChoice, a major internet trade association   
   representing tech giants including Meta (Facebook, Instagram), YouTube, Snap   
   Inc., Reddit, and X. NetChoice argued that Act 901 violates the First   
   Amendment and is preempted by federal law.    
      
   The Act sought to prohibit social media platforms from using features they   
   "know or should have known" cause specific harms to minors, including   
   purchasing controlled substances, developing eating disorders, or committing   
   suicide. Violations could have resulted in civil penalties of up to $10,000   
   per violation and Class A misdemeanor charges.    
      
   However, in his order, Judge Brooks criticized the law for being   
   "unconstitutionally vague." He noted that the legislation failed to specify a   
   clear standard of conduct for the platforms, leaving violations dependent on   
   the subjective sensitivities of users.    
      
   "The Act regulates pretty much everything a social media platform does,"    
   Judge Brooks wrote in the decision. "Defendants have failed to establish that   
   [sections of the law] are narrowly tailored to achieving the State's asserted   
   interests... These provisions of the Act are likely unconstitutional."    
      
   While acknowledging the State's argument that social media can harm minors,   
   Brooks emphasized that the government cannot trample on free expression to   
   address it.   
      
   A wider battle over online safety    
      
   The blocking of Act 901 is a significant victory for the tech industry, which   
   has consistently pushed back against a patchwork of state-level regulations.    
      
   Attorney General Griffin had argued that the law was necessary because   
   platforms "hold a vast amount of power over Arkansans" and have refused to   
   exercise it responsibly. Yet, according to the judge, the harm to the   
   government caused by an injunction does not outweigh the public interest in   
   protecting freedom of expression.    
      
   This ruling comes at a time of intense global scrutiny regarding social media   
   safety. While Arkansas struggles to implement its specific restrictions,    
   other jurisdictions are moving faster. For example, the Australian government   
   recently passed a ban on social media for children under 16, and the US   
   Congress is considering its own federal measures for app store age   
   verification.    
      
   For now, however, Arkansas cannot enforce Act 901. Judge Brooks noted that   
   because NetChoice showed a likely First Amendment violation, the platforms   
   would suffer "irreparable harm" if the law were allowed to take effect while   
   the case proceeds.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/unconstitutional-federal-ju   
   dge-blocks-arkansas-social-media-safety-law   
      
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