Arkansas A.G. Appeals to Shield Kids Online
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin will ask the Eighth Circuit to let the state protect children on social media, according to court documents.
In 2023 the Arkansas Legislature passed the Social Media Safety Act. This good law by Sen. Tyler Dees (R – Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R – Paris) requires major social media companies to ensure minors don’t access social media platforms without parental consent. A social media company that violated the law could be held liable.
In response, tech giants — such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok — asked a federal court to strike down the Social Media Safety Act as unconstitutional.
In March U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks in Fayetteville issued a final order blocking the State of Arkansas from enforcing the Social Media Safety Act. Among other things, Judge Brooks’ ruling claims that Arkansas’ Social Media Safety Act is unconstitutionally broad and vague.
On May 2, Attorney General Tim Griffin appealed Judge Brooks’ ruling to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Appealing the decision will give a higher federal court the opportunity to review the case and reverse the judge’s order.
The truth is there’s mounting evidence that — by design — social media platforms are not appropriate for children.
TikTok has long been under fire for serving kids a steady “diet of darkness” online and struggling to protect private user data from entities in China, such as the Chinese Communist Party.
The A.G.’s legal team has filed documents in other court cases alleging that platforms like Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time,” and that this exploitation is especially true of young users with developing brains.
Social media platforms are more than just websites or phone apps. These are multimillion dollar businesses. The adults who own and profit from these companies have a responsibility to protect children on their platforms — and they should not be able to register children as users and let those children post photos and videos on their platforms without parental consent.
Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold social media giants accountable and protect children online than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin. We appreciate his willingness to appeal to the Eighth Circuit, and we are confident our federal courts ultimately will let Arkansas protect children on social media.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
Bad Idea on the Bayou: Louisiana Lawmakers Consider Legalizing Kratom
Lawmakers in Louisiana are considering a bill to allow the sale of the drug kratom under certain circumstances.
Kratom is a dangerous drug that is often marketed as a dietary supplement. The federal government has advised public officials to prohibit kratom, and states like Arkansas have done so.
The Mayo Clinic has called kratom “unsafe and ineffective,” writing,
Poison control centers in the United States received more than 3,400 reports about use of kratom from 2014 through 2019. These included reports of death. Side effects reported included high blood pressure, confusion and seizures.
Louisiana House Bill 253 would generally let people age 21 or older buy and use kratom. The proposal is similar to a very bad bill that Arkansas lawmakers soundly defeated in April.
The powerful interests who benefit from the sale of kratom generally do not make the public health or safety of everyday people a high priority. That’s why policymakers and public health officials need to protect families by prohibiting these dangerous drugs rather than simply regulating them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.