Federal judge rules that social media platforms are not required to filter content for children

[DragonSlayer101]

What just happened? A new Texas law aimed at restricting social media access for kids has taken effect, but a significant portion of it was blocked after a federal judge ruled that social media companies are not required to filter content from children's feeds. Judge Robert Pitman determined that the provision mandating content blocking violates the First Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional.

In his ruling, Judge Pitman criticized the controversial provision as a threat to free speech and noted that several terms in the law were vague and potentially political. He also pointed out that the law would limit the ability of children to discuss controversial topics online, despite the fact that they could still access such content through traditional media, books, and other sources.

However, Judge Pitman upheld other parts of the law, including the requirement for parental consent for minors to create social media accounts. Another provision that remains intact is the age verification requirement for visitors to sites with significant adult content.

The Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott last year, faced a last-minute injunction from advocacy groups NetChoice and CCIA. The law aims to prevent tech companies from collecting data on underage users and restricts children from making financial transactions without parental consent. Additionally, it requires online services to shield minors from "harmful material," including content related to suicide, self-harm, and substance abuse.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Apple successfully lobbied Louisiana lawmakers to remove a key provision from a child safety bill that has since become law. The bill originally included a clause requiring app store operators to verify the age of users before allowing them to download certain apps – a measure that alarmed companies like Apple and Google, who operate the largest app stores in the US.

According to Louisiana legislator Kim Carver, who authored the bill, Apple hired four additional lobbyists who threatened multiple lawsuits if the age verification requirement for app stores wasn't removed. Ultimately, Carver was forced to drop the provision to ensure the bill's passage through the state legislature, illustrating how big money can influence the legislative process.

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Federal judge rules that social media platforms are not required to filter content for children

 

[Jarenien]

Parents need to learn how to parent, it is that simple. This era of blaming everyone else for your problems instead of fixing yourself is just pathetic, and it isn't just with parenting that this is occurring, but with everything. I didn't get a job because of someone else's blah-blah, or I only got a ticket because of someone else's blah-blah. Just man up and take some mf responsibility for your own actions and better yourself people.

 

[yRaz]

Parents need to learn how to parent, it is that simple. This era of blaming everyone else for your problems instead of fixing yourself is just pathetic, and it isn't just with parenting that this is occurring, but with everything. I didn't get a job because of someone else's blah-blah, or I only got a ticket because of someone else's blah-blah. Just man up and take some mf responsibility for your own actions and better yourself people.

Came here to basically post this. It's also not someone else's responsibility to regulate everything for you. Should the government step in when companies are dumping hexavalent chromium into a city's water supply? Absolutely! Should companies be forced by the government to regulate skibidi toilet out of your child's news feed? Absolutely not.

I think people are getting confused over what role government actually should be playing.

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

It's all on the parents here... you can control how much access your children get to the internet, at least when they are with you. Now at school or at a friends house that's another matter. You can have some control over who your kids hang out with, but you can't control everything unfortunately.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Parents need to learn how to parent, it is that simple. This era of blaming everyone else for your problems instead of fixing yourself is just pathetic, and it isn't just with parenting that this is occurring, but with everything. I didn't get a job because of someone else's blah-blah, or I only got a ticket because of someone else's blah-blah. Just man up and take some mf responsibility for your own actions and better yourself people.

I'm in total agreement. I had unfettered internet access from age 10. But, because I was raised by actual parents who loved me and cared about me, I was smart enough not to get into trouble online, not to reenact silly things I saw on YouTube, and avoid obvious cams.

Parents today simply dont want to parent anymore. Which is fine, but dont have kids then.

This type of rule wouldnt have been possible anyway, without highly invasive anti privacy tech to ensure that you are who you say you are, and outside of thebigges tech companies would be far too expensive. For once the courts got it right.

 

[kiwigraeme]

This ruling doesn't mean much. The EU and other countries will enforce their rules.
Google and Apple don't care about your freedom , just making as much money as possible. Apple loved using child labour before being held to account.
Most of this will run on parents accounts,so is up to parents. But I here stories of FB feeding pretty horrible stuff, with no action taken, but do the American freakout with a bare nipple.
Still expect these companies to remove snuff or child pron etc
So much hypocrisy anyway, no gambling , but freemium games full of it

Anyway as usual no clear answer like most things , just a nuance to the morality of the day

 

[Loadedaxe]

I am in agreement with everyone here. Parents need to parent, computers, tablets and phones are not baby sitters!