Judge blocks Georgia's social media age verification law, citing free speech concerns [View all]

Source: ABC News/AP

June 26, 2025, 6:33 PM


ATLANTA -- Georgia has become the latest state where a federal judge has blocked a law requiring age verification for social media accounts.

Like in seven other states where such laws have been blocked, a federal judge ruled Thursday that the Georgia law infringes on free speech rights.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg means that the Georgia measure, which passed in 2024, won't take effect next week as scheduled. Instead, Totenberg granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law until there's a full ruling on the issue.

Georgia's law would require some social media providers to take “commercially reasonable” steps to verify a user's age and require children younger than 16 to get parental permission for accounts. It was challenged by NetChoice, a trade group representing online businesses.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-blocks-georgias-social-media-age-verification-law-123253261

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One of the SCOTUS rulings to come down today involves this "age-verification" issue - specifically the similar law in TX under review - Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton (in the TX case, related to PornHub)