Home / Technology / Judge Blocks Virginia Law Limiting Kids' Social Media
Judge Blocks Virginia Law Limiting Kids' Social Media
28 Feb
Summary
- A federal judge halted a Virginia law restricting minors' social media use.
- The law limited daily social media access for those under 16 to one hour.
- Tech groups argued the law infringed on First Amendment protected speech.
A federal judge in Northern Virginia has placed a preliminary injunction on SB 854, a new state law designed to limit social media usage for minors. This law, which took effect on January 1, 2026, aimed to restrict children under 16 to one hour of social media per day, per platform. It also mandated that platforms use reasonable methods to verify user age and obtain parental consent for increased usage.
The injunction was granted following a petition from NetChoice, a technology lobbying group representing major platforms like Meta and Google. NetChoice contended that the law infringed upon protected speech under the First Amendment. They also raised concerns about the cybersecurity implications of age verification methods, potentially exposing minors' data to cyber threats.
US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles acknowledged the state's interest in protecting youth from the addictive aspects of social media. However, she stated that this interest could not override First Amendment rights. This ruling follows similar legal victories for NetChoice against comparable state laws in Louisiana and Ohio.
