The Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation Act of Louisiana, a law aimed at regulating social media through age verification and parental controls, has been invalidated. This ruling came on December 15, right before the act was set to take effect, from a federal judge who supported the tech trade organization NetChoice, which has been opposing age verification laws across the country. In April, NetChoice also succeeded in blocking Arkansas’ Social Media Safety Act.

Judge John W. deGravelles articulated in the Louisiana ruling that “The Act is at once under-inclusive and over-inclusive.”

NetChoice, along with other advocates for free speech, contends that expansive age verification laws can introduce privacy hazards, restrict access to protected speech, and hinder online expression. In contrast, advocates for online safety are urging regulation in light of rampant child exploitation and mental health issues. Louisiana was the pioneer in establishing such a law in 2023, with 25 states now implementing age verification laws, many aimed at online pornography. Missouri has recently enacted a law mandating verification on sites containing significant amounts of pornographic content, and this month Congress has deliberated on several online safety acts.

Attorney General Liz Murrill of Louisiana intends to appeal the decision, emphasizing the importance of social media regulation and pursuing legal action against platforms like Roblox. “The assault on children by online predators is an all-hands-on-deck problem. It’s unfortunate that the court chose to protect huge corporations that facilitate child exploitation over the legislative policy to require simple age verification mechanisms,” remarked Murrill.