Group representing Tiktok, Meta and X sues over new limits on app use

A trade group that represents TikTok and other major tech companies sued Utah on Monday over its first-inthe-nation laws requiring children and teens to obtain parental consent to use social media apps.

Two laws signed in March by Republican Gov. Spencer Cox will prohibit minors from using social media between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. unless authorized by a parent — and require age verification to open and maintain a social media account in the state.

The restrictions are designed to protect children from targeted advertisements and addictive features that could negatively impact their mental health. Both laws take effect March 1, 2024.

The Netchoice trade group argues in its federal lawsuit that although Utah’s regulations are wellintentioned, they are unconstitutional because they restrict access to public content, compromise data security and undermine parental rights.

“We are fighting to ensure that all Utahns can embrace digital tools without the forceful clutch of government control,” said Chris Marchese, Director of the Netchoice Litigation Center. The trade association includes many of the world’s leading social media companies, including Tiktok, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta, and X, formerly known as Twitter.

Cox predicted there would be lawsuits challenging both bills but said he wasn’t worried because there is a growing body of research that demonstrates how social media use can negatively impact the mental health outcomes of children.

“I’m not going to back down from a potential legal challenge when these companies are killing our kids,” Cox argued earlier this year.

The governor’s office did not immediately respond Monday to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit. The office of Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes will represent the state in court.

“The State of Utah is reviewing the lawsuit but remains intently focused on the goal of this legislation: Protecting young people from negative and harmful effects of social media use,” spokesperson Richard Piatt said.

In another lawsuit filed by Netchoice, a federal judge temporarily blocked Arkansas from enforcing its new law requiring parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts.