A federal judge in Utah has temporarily blocked a state law protecting children’s privacy and limiting their social media use, declaring it unconstitutional.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Shelby issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which would have required social media companies to verify users’ ages, enforce privacy settings, and limit certain features on minors’ accounts.

The law was scheduled to take effect on October 1. Still, its enforcement is now paused pending the outcome of a case filed by NetChoice, a nonprofit trade group representing companies like Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram’s parent company), Snap, and X. The Utah legislature had passed the Utah Minor Protection in Social Media Act in 2024, after earlier legislation from 2023 faced legal challenges. State officials believed the new law would withstand legal scrutiny, but Judge Shelby disagreed.

“The court understands the State’s desire to protect young people from the unique risks of social media,” Shelby wrote. However, he added that the state failed to provide a compelling reason to violate the First Amendment rights of social media companies.

Republican Governor Spencer Cox expressed disappointment with the court’s ruling but emphasized that the fight was necessary due to the harm social media causes to children. “Let’s be clear: social media companies could, right now, voluntarily adopt all of the protections this law imposes to safeguard our children. But they refuse, choosing profits over our kids’ well-being. This has to stop, and Utah will continue to lead this battle.”

NetChoice contends that the law would force Utah residents to provide more personal information for age verification, increasing the risk of data breaches. In 2023, Utah became the first state to regulate children’s social media use. Utah sued TikTok and Meta, accusing them of using addictive features to lure children.

Under the 2024 law, minor accounts would have default settings limiting direct messages, sharing features, and disabling autoplay and push notifications, which lawmakers say contribute to excessive use. The law would also restrict how much information social media companies could collect from minors.

Additionally, another law taking effect on October 1 allows parents to sue social media companies if their child’s mental health worsens due to excessive use of algorithm-driven apps. Social media companies must comply with various requirements, including limiting use to three hours daily and imposing a nightly blackout from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Violations could result in damages starting at $10,000.

NetChoice has successfully obtained injunctions blocking similar laws in California, Arkansas, Ohio, Mississippi, and Texas. “With this being the sixth injunction against these overreaching laws, we hope policymakers will pursue meaningful and constitutional solutions for the digital age,” said Chris Marchese, NetChoice’s director of litigation.