Home / Technology / Louisiana Age Law Blocked: Judge Cites Privacy Risks
Louisiana Age Law Blocked: Judge Cites Privacy Risks
16 Dec
Summary
- A judge blocked Louisiana's law requiring social media age verification.
- The law aimed to verify user ages and implement parental controls.
- The judge cited privacy risks and vague definitions as reasons for blocking.
A recently enacted Louisiana law designed to verify the ages of social media users has been halted by a judicial decision. The legislation, known as the Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation Act, was intended to compel platforms such as Meta, Reddit, and YouTube to integrate robust age verification and parental control systems for their users.
The ruling by Judge John W. deGravelles came just days before the law's enforcement was scheduled to commence. The judge stated that the law's provisions for age verification and parental consent were both overly broad and too narrow, deeming its definition of a "social media platform" to be unclear and problematic.
This judicial intervention represents a significant victory for NetChoice, a trade association representing the tech industry, which has been actively challenging age verification mandates. The group contended that the Louisiana law infringed upon constitutional rights and created substantial safety and privacy vulnerabilities for users.
