Fight Over State Child Online Safety Laws May Last Years

Gabby Miller is Staff Writer, Ben Lennett is Contributing Editor, and Justin Hendrix is CEO and Editor of Tech Policy Press. After a wave of legislation focused on child online safety swept through state legislatures over the past two years, legal challenges against the new laws are gaining traction in federal courts. But rather than signaling a change in the tide, the lawsuits may ultimately spur a new round of bills that address flaws in those passed in the first wave.  Putting aside the merits of the various approaches to child online safety that animate recent legislation and whether they may be effective, it is clear that the overarching issue is one that will survive well into the future. A recent national poll on children’s health found that use of devices and social media are at the top of parent concerns. What follows is a summary of the legal and political debate involving child online safety laws and where it might go in the future.    Federal courts question the constitutionality of state child safety laws  Challenges to new laws are mounting in multiple states. Late last month, federal district court judges in Texas and Arkansas issued temporary injunctions against two recently passed laws in those states, both scheduled to take effect on September 1st. These laws introduced age verification requirements and other measures aimed at enhancing child online safety. Signed in June by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, the Arkansas “Social Media Safety Act” would have required a minor…Fight Over State Child Online Safety Laws May Last Years