Robert Winterton
6.4K posts
@RobPWJ
Vice President of Public Affairs at @NetChoice. Tech solves problems. Big government creates them.
Court Blocks Nebraska's Digital I.D.-for-Speech Law for Social Media LINCOLN, Neb.—On Saturday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska granted NetChoice's request for a preliminary injunction, halting enforcement of the age verification and parental consent provisions of LB 383 days before they were set to take effect on July 1. The court held that forcing Nebraskans to surrender a digital I.D. to access lawful speech is a content-based restriction that fails the First Amendment. "As this decision illustrates, the chorus against digital I.D. mandates grows louder every day. There is no constitutional justification for the government to block access to fully protected speech,” said @Paul_Taske, Director of the NetChoice Litigation Center. "This is a win for every Nebraskan who values their right to speak and read online without first handing the government a digital I.D. We are confident the court will strike down these provisions permanently as this case proceeds. Nebraska families deserve real solutions, not an unconstitutional law that protects no one."
JUST IN: EU Commission’s HQ shut off AC on lower floors during the Brussels heatwave, while senior officials on upper floors kept theirs.
NEW: Australia is considering “tougher enforcement” of its under-16 social media ban after a study found most teens are still using the platforms.
Hey Europoors. I just got AC installed. In my garage. For my dogs. And I don’t even live in the South. My dogs live better than you do. I care more about my dogs than your govt cares about you.
This is exactly the kind of misinformation surrounding SB 2420 that keeps getting repeated. First, age verification laws do not violate the First Amendment. Courts have long recognized that government may impose age-based restrictions to protect children and regulate activities involving minors. Second, Texans are not suddenly being forced to upload a digital ID every time they download an app, read the news, or use the internet. I downloaded an app in Texas today without showing an ID. Why? Because SB 2420 is tied primarily to account creation, not every app download. And, it DOES NOT mandate a digital id for age verification. Apple and Google already collect birthdates when users create accounts. Under SB 2420, age assurance occurs when a new account is established using a commercially reasonable method. Once an account is recognized as belonging to an adult, the platform can pass an age category, such as "adult", without repeatedly requesting identification or requesting a digital id at all. Apple has already implemented tools that allow this process to occur largely behind the scenes. The law is not a ban on speech. It is not a government-mandated digital ID system. It is a child protection law that requires app stores to verify age and involve parents when minors create accounts and enter into digital contracts. We already accept age verification for alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and countless other age-restricted activities. The digital marketplace should not receive a special exemption when it comes to protecting children.
