Federal Judge Blocks Tennessee Age Verification Law

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the implementation of Tennessee's Protect Tennessee Minors Act, which mandated that adult content websites verify users' ages every hour through methods like ID uploads. Chief U.S. District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman ruled that the law likely violates the First Amendment by suppressing free speech, despite the state's claim of a compelling interest in protecting children from harmful content. The law, which included severe penalties for non-compliance, sparked a lawsuit from the Free Speech Coalition, which argued it posed privacy risks and would not effectively prevent minors from accessing such content. Similar laws exist in other states, but Tennessee's strict penalties are unique. The state has indicated its intent to challenge the ruling, with a related case from Texas pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. This legal battle underscores the ongoing debate between protecting minors and safeguarding free speech rights online.