January 1, Supreme Court Lets Mississippi Keep Social Media Rules

Wyatt’s Take

• Supreme Court says Mississippi can keep age checks for social media.
• Tech giants wanted the law blocked but were denied.
• Parents get more say over their kids online in Mississippi.

The Supreme Court decided Mississippi can keep its tough rules for social media age checks while a lawsuit continues. Big Tech companies had asked for the law to be paused, but the justices said no for now.

Mississippi’s law means anyone under 18 needs a parent’s OK to use social media, and companies must work hard to shield kids from harmful content or get hit with a $10,000 fine. Tech industry group NetChoice claims this law hurts free speech and could cause real harm to social media companies operating in the state.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that while the law likely goes against the Constitution, the tech group didn’t show enough harm to stop the law right now.

“In short, under this Court’s case law as it currently stands, the Mississippi law is likely unconstitutional,” wrote Kavanaugh. “Nonetheless, because NetChoice has not sufficiently demonstrated that the balance of harms and equities favors it at this time, I concur in the Court’s denial of the application for interim relief.”

Mississippi says the law is about protecting children from online predators and puts only modest demands on social media companies. State officials pushed back hard, saying tech groups hadn’t proved they deserved special treatment while the case moved through the courts.

All this means kids in Mississippi will need permission from home to get on social media, and parents have more control over what their children see online.

If you value parents having a say over what their kids look at online, this is a big win for family rights. Mississippi’s law keeps the focus on protecting kids, not just Big Tech profits.

Wyatt Matters

The heartland knows family comes first, and it’s only right to protect our kids from dangers on the Internet. When parents have a stronger voice, communities get stronger too.

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