Key points
- Spokesperson for Attorney General says his office is reviewing complaint
- Lawsuit was filed by NetChoice in federal court in Fayetteville
- Arkansas is among several states that have been enacting restrictions on social media
ISLAMABAD: A tech industry trade group has sued Arkansas over two new laws that would place limits on content on social media platforms and would permit parents of children who killed themselves to sue over content on the platforms, according to AP.
The lawsuit by NetChoice filed in federal court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, comes months after a federal judge struck down a state law requiring parental consent before minors can create new social media accounts, AP reported. The new laws were signed by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders earlier this year.
Children’s mental health
According to AP, Arkansas is among several states that have been enacting restrictions on social media, prompted by concerns about the impact on children’s mental health.
NetChoice — whose members include Facebook parent Meta and the social platform X — challenged Arkansas’ 2023 age-verification law for social media. A federal judge who initially blocked the law struck it down in March.
Similar laws have been blocked by judges in Florida and Georgia.
“Self-harm”
A spokesperson for Attorney General Tim Griffin said his office was reviewing the latest complaint and looked forward to defending the law.
The law being challenged also would allow parents whose children have died by suicide or attempted to take their lives to sue social media companies if they were exposed to content promoting or advancing self-harm and suicide. The companies could face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.
NetChoice is also challenging another law that attempts to expand Arkansas’ blocked restrictions on social media companies.
