NetChoice Wins Injunction Blocking Enforcement of Ark. Social Media Law

The U.S. District Court for Western Arkansas in Fayetteville, in a late-Thursday opinion and order, granted NetChoice’s motion for a preliminary injunction blocking Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) from enforcing SB-396, the state’s social media age verification law, when it takes effect Friday.

The court found that NetChoice “has standing to assert a constitutional challenge” to the statute “on behalf of its members and its members’ users,” said the opinion and order (docket 5:23-cv-05105). It granted the injunction, it said, based on its finding that NetChoice’s arguments “are likely to succeed on the merits.”

NetChoice is pleased that the court “sided with the First Amendment and stopped Arkansas’ unconstitutional law from censoring free speech online and undermining the privacy of Arkansans, their families and their businesses as our case proceeds,” said Chris Marchese, director-NetChoice Litigation Center, in a statement. “We look forward to seeing the law struck down permanently.” AG Griffin’s office didn’t immediately comment.