A federal judge in Austin has temporarily halted the enforcement of several provisions of Texas House Bill 18, known as the SCOPE Act, which regulates minors’ social media usage. This marks the second successful challenge concerning alleged First Amendment infringements of the law. Attorney Adam Sieff characterized the ruling as a triumph against government censorship. The original intent of the law was to enhance parental controls over children's online interactions, but recent judicial actions indicate concerns about vagueness and overreach in monitoring provisions.
The Court enjoined every substantive provision of the SCOPE Act we challenged, granting even broader relief than its first preliminary injunction. We hope this decision will give other states pause before broadly restricting free expression online.
Pitman ruled these provisions were vague and overbroad. He allowed the rest of the law to take effect because the plaintiffs didn't prove those parts were unconstitutional.
The bill would give parents more control over how websites collect children's private information and advertise to children online.
It's the second successful - albeit temporary - legal challenge to the alleged First Amendment violations of Texas House Bill 18 since it was passed.
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