States’ attempts to age-gate the Internet blocked by constitutional hurdles

Courts have started blocking some US states' earliest attempts to age-gate the Internet. Courts ordered preliminary injunctions blocking a Texas law requiring ID to access websites featuring adult entertainment, as well as an Arkansas law requiring ID to access some social media platforms. Both laws otherwise would've taken effect on September 1, 2023. While the Texas law was more narrowly aimed at restricting minors from accessing specific content that's not age-appropriate, Arkansas' law—the Social Media Safety Act—was much broader, stopping minors from creating accounts without parental permission on social media platforms that generate more than $100 million annually. It was also, according to the court, poorly researched, vaguely defined, and likely unconstitutional.