Mississippi Seeks Supreme Court Backing for Minors’ Social Media Restrictions

Mississippi's House Bill 1126, requiring minors to obtain parental consent and verify their age before accessing social media platforms, has sparked a significant legal battle centered on First Amendment rights and user privacy. The state, represented by Attorney General Lynn Fitch, defends the law as a necessary measure to protect minors from harmful online content, citing tragic incidents like the suicide of a 16-year-old sextortion victim as motivation. The law also mandates social media companies to implement age verification and content moderation strategies, with civil and criminal penalties for noncompliance. In contrast, NetChoice, representing major tech companies, argues the law is an unconstitutional overreach that imposes invasive age verification and parental consent requirements, threatening free speech and online anonymity for both minors and adults. Though initially blocked by a federal district court, the injunction was lifted by the Fifth Circuit, allowing enforcement while the case proceeds, prompting NetChoice to seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court to halt the law. This dispute reflects broader tensions over internet regulation, free expression, and privacy in the digital age.