RICHMOND, Va. — A federal judge on Friday agreed to halt the enforcement of Virginia's new law restricting social media use for minors while a lawsuit against Virginia's Attorney General is underway.
The law, which took effect on January 1, requires social media companies to set default time limits of one hour per day for users under 16 years old, with parents having the ability to adjust that time up or down.
The preliminary injunction came at the request of the lawsuit's plaintiff NetChoice, a trade association of online service providers with members such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Reddit.
“The First Amendment is alive and well in Virginia," said Paul Taske, Co-Director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, in a statement. "This ruling reaffirms that the government cannot ration access to lawful speech—even if it has noble intentions. Fundamentally, parents must stay in the driver’s seat when it comes to decisions about their families."
Rae Pickett, spokesperson for the Office of Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, said in a statement, “We look forward to continuing to enforce laws that empower parents to protect their children from the proven harms that can come through social media."
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