Judge blocks Virginia law limiting minors’ social media use to one hour daily

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction against a Virginia law requiring social media platforms to limit minors' usage to one hour a day following a lawsuit filed against the commonwealth by trade association NetChoice.

The law was announced earlier this year by Attorney General Jay Jones, as part of new provisions under the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, and would enforce the one hour limit unless a parent or guardian chooses otherwise.

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In the lawsuit, NetChoice -- a trade association for online businesses, including social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube -- claims that the new law "infringes protected speech in violation of the First Amendment" for users of the platforms.

The state argues that the purpose of the law is to help protect younger individuals from mental health impacts and addictive components of social media, contending that Virginia can adopt laws to aid parents in protecting their children.

In their ruling, the judge found that NetChoice would likely succeed in its claim of First Amendment violation when the case goes to trial, prohibiting Virginia from enforcing the social media restrictions while the legal process is ongoing.

The full memorandum can be viewed below: