A US federal court has issued an injunction blocking a Virginia state law that requires social media platforms to verify users' ages and limit children under 16 to no more than one hour of daily use, stating it may violate the Constitution and infringe on free speech rights.
The decision came on 27 February from US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of Alexandria, Virginia. She noted that the tech industry group NetChoice is likely to prove that the law violates free speech rights under the First Amendment for adults, children, and dozens of member companies.
NetChoice represents major technology firms including Google, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Reddit, and Elon Musk's platform X.
The blocked law, Senate Bill 854, was signed in May last year by former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and was set to take effect from 1 January 2026.
Virginia justified the law as aimed at protecting children from social media addiction and addressing the youth mental health crisis.
However, the judge stated that although the state has a significant interest in protecting children, the law is overly broad because it requires all users, including adults, to verify their age, while also being insufficient as it exempts certain interactive games that may also be addictive.
The court also pointed out that the law treats similar content inconsistently; for example, children may be restricted from viewing over one hour of science, history, or religious content on social media, while such content remains accessible on other streaming platforms.
In her ruling, Judge Giles, appointed during former President Joe Biden's administration, said that while the state has an important interest in protecting youth from social media harms, it cannot violate rights under the First Amendment—even when those rights belong to youth the state seeks to protect.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said the state remains committed to enforcing laws that help parents protect their children from proven social media dangers.
NetChoice responded that the ruling confirms the government cannot restrict access to lawful content, regardless of good intentions, and emphasized that decisions about children's usage should be left to parents.
NetChoice has also filed lawsuits challenging similar laws in several states, including California, reflecting a growing legal battle across the US over social media regulation and fundamental rights.
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