Arkansas A.G. Fighting to Shield Kids Online

Social Media, ,

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s office recently filed documents with the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case over a state law designed to protect children online.

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.

However, the A.G.’s team indicated it would appeal Judge Brooks’ decision. On September 3, the attorney general’s office filed paperwork with the higher court at the Eighth Circuit regarding that appeal.

A growing body of evidence shows that — by design — social media platforms are not appropriate for children.

TikTok has been accused of 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 Arkansas Attorney General’s Office 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 a multibillion dollar industry. 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.

READ MORE

Memorial Service for Aborted Children Sept. 13 at Life Center in Little Rock

Abortion, , , ,

LITTLE ROCK – The National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children service is Saturday, Sept. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to Noon at the Memorial Garden for the Unborn at 1515 S. University Avenue in Little Rock.

This is an outdoor event, so attendees should bring a chair if they want to sit. All are welcome to attend.

The event is sponsored by Arkansas Right to Life. For more information, call 501-663-4237 or email artl@artl.org. Additional information about the event is available at nationaldayofremembrance.org.

-30-

READ MORE

Arkansas A.G. Asks Court to Set Trial Date in Lawsuit Against Meta

Social Media, ,

The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office is asking a state court to set a trial date in a lawsuit against social media giant Meta — the company that owns Facebook and Instagram.

In 2023, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sued Meta in Polk County Circuit Court for allegedly misleading the public about the safety and addictiveness of its social media platforms.

The lawsuit says Meta structured Facebook and Instagram “to exploit multiple neuropsychological traits in youth.”

It notes that Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time.”

The A.G.’s legal complaint says this exploitation is especially true of young users with developing brains.

The lawsuit also says that, “youth mental health problems have advanced in lockstep with the growth of social media platforms that have been deliberately designed to attract and addict youth by amplifying harmful material, dosing users with dopamine hits, and thereby driving youth engagement and advertising revenue.”

The A.G. is asking the court to stop Meta’s actions and award the state up to $10,000 per violation under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

In a request filed August 28, Deputy Attorney General Christine Cryer wrote to the court:

Given the age of the case and the amount of work put into preparing the case for trial, we believe the time is ripe to assign this case a trial date. Obtaining a trial date would allow the parties to develop a scheduling order and establish deadlines to govern the progression of this case through its final phases and on toward resolution. With the amount of remaining work that will be necessary to make this case trial-ready, we believe that a 2026 trial setting is reasonable.

The State anticipates that three weeks of trial days should be sufficient to adequately present the issues. This case presents a uniquely important and incredibly urgent matter of public health and safety concerning the youth of our State. Accordingly, we are making this request early so that the Court has ample opportunity to review its docket and find a trial setting that will enable the Court to get this case in front of a jury in 2026.

Social media platforms aren’t just websites. These are multibillion dollar businesses. These companies have an obligation to protect their users. We appreciate the Arkansas Attorney General’s office working to do exactly that.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE