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Technology industry trade group NetChoice He sues Virginia Regarding a new law that prevents minors from using social media for more than an hour a day. the The lawsuit was filed Mondayasking the court to block the law over allegations that it violates the First Amendment by placing “unlawful barriers to how and when all Virginians can access free expression online.”
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Sign the social media bill (SP854) was passed into law in May, and is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. Under the law, social media platforms must prevent children under the age of 16 from using the sites for more than one hour per day unless they get permission from a parent.
In addition to restricting access to legal speech, NetChoice claims that an upcoming Virginia law would require platforms to verify users’ ages in ways that would pose privacy and security risks. The law requires platforms to use “commercially reasonable methods,” which it says include a screen asking the user to enter a date of birth. However, NetChoice says Virginia can go beyond this requirement, citing… Post from Governor Yongkin on Xwhich states “platforms must verify age,” which could indicate more stringent methods, such as requiring users to submit a government ID or other personal information.
We’ve already seen the dangers of such data collection, with Discord revealing last month that about 70,000 users may have had their government identities exposed during a customer service data breach related to age appeals.
NetChoice, which is backed by tech giants such as Meta, Google, Amazon, Reddit and Discord, claims the law places a burden on minors’ ability to participate or consume speech online. “The First Amendment prohibits the government from placing these kinds of restrictions on access to lawful and valuable expression, just in the same way that the government can’t tell you how long you can spend reading a book, watching a TV show, or watching a documentary,” says Paul Tusk, co-director of the Netchoice Litigation Center. Edge.
“Virginia should leave parenting decisions where they belong: with the parents,” Tasci says. “By asserting this authority for itself, Virginia is not only violating its citizens’ rights to free expression, but also exposing them to an increased risk of privacy and security violations.”