US EditionFederal judge blocks new Colorado law requiring social media warning labels for kids
The injunction prevents warning labels aimed at minors after one hour of social media use, citing a likely First Amendment violation, according to Judge William J. Martinez.
- On Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez in Denver blocked House Bill 1136, preventing its social media warning-label provision for minors from taking effect on Jan. 1 as likely unconstitutional.
- Under House Bill 1136, platforms would have been required to program warnings every 30 minutes after a minor spent one hour using the service or between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., reminding them of potential impacts on their developing brains.
- Martinez wrote that the requirement looks like compelled speech, agreeing companies argued it likely violates the First Amendment and that warnings address expressive issues beyond commercial speech.
- While NetChoice, which filed the lawsuit, celebrated the injunction, other parts of House Bill 1136, including a resource list requirement, remain in effect.
- The court acknowledged Colorado's interest in protecting youth while noting constitutional constraints, suggesting voluntary disclosures; Democratic Sen. Judy Amabile of Boulder expressed disappointment, citing tech platforms' algorithms that "suck them in and keep them scrolling.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Federal judge pauses Colorado law requiring social media warnings for younger users
A federal judge has paused a Colorado law requiring that social media companies warn young users about the potential harms of being on their sites. The judge said the law likely violates the First Amendment. This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org. “Like traditional media, a social media platform is entitled to heightened First Amendment protection where it is engaged in expressive ac…
The Fort Morgan Times
Federal judge blocks new Colorado law requiring social media warning labels for kids
A federal judge in Denver has blocked a new state law that’s intended to warn young users about the dangers of too much time on social media, ruling that requiring tech companies to display the warnings on their apps likely violates the First Amendment. U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez’s ruling Thursday is a win for a coalition of tech companies that sued in August to block the enactment of 2024’s House Bill 1136. He granted a preli…
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