Tech industry group sues Arkansas over new social media laws

Little Rock, Ark. – A technology industry trade group continued the Arkansas on two new laws on Friday that would limit the content of social media platforms and allow parents of children who committed suicidus to continue the content on the platforms.

The Netchoice trial submitted to the Federal Court of Fayetteville, Arkansas, comes from months after a federal judge has canceled a state law demanding parents’ consent before minors could create new social media accounts. The new laws were signed by the Republican Governor Sarah Huckabe Sanders earlier this year.

“Despite the overwhelming consensus according to which laws such as the law on social media security are unconstitutional, the Arkansas has chosen to respond to the decision of this court not by repealing the provisions that it was unconstitutional but double its exercise,” said Netchoice in its trial.

The Arkansas is one of several states that have brought restrictions on social media, likely by concerns about the impact on the mental health of children. Netchoice – whose members include Tiktok, Facebook Parent Meta and the social platform X – challenged the Arkansas social networks law in 2023 for social media. A federal judge who initially blocked the law brought him back in March.

Similar laws have been blocked by judges in Florida and Georgia.

A spokesperson for the prosecutor general Tim Griffin said his office examined the last complaint and was looking forward to defending the law.

One of the new disputed laws prohibits social media platforms from using a design, algorithm or feature that “knows or should have known thanks to the exercise of reasonable care”, would lead a user to kill himself, buy a controlled substance, develop a food disorder, develop dependence on the platform.

The trial indicated that the provision is unconstitutionally vague and does not offer advice on how to determine which content would violate these restrictions, and the notes of the prosecution, it would restrict the content for adults and minors. The prosecution wonders if the songs mentioning the drug, like “because I Got High” by Afroman, would be prohibited under the new law.

The disputed law would also allow parents whose children died by suicide or tried to take their lives to continue social media societies if they were exposed to promoting or progressing content of self -control and suicide. Companies could incur civil sanctions that are up to $ 10,000 per violation.

Netchoice also disputes another law which attempts to extend the restrictions blocked by Arkansas on social media companies. This measure would require social media platforms to ensure that minors do not receive notifications between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The measure would also oblige social media societies to ensure that their platform “does not engage in practices to evoke dependence or compulsive behavior”. The prosecution argues that the law does not explain how to comply with this restriction and is so widely written that it is not clear what type of messages or material would violate it.

“What is” addictive “for some minors may not be addictive to others. Allows adolescents to share photos with each other evoke dependence? ” The trial said.