Arkansas Judge Halts Social Media Law Targeting Minors' Accounts
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Arkansas’s Act 900 before its effective date.
Why it matters: Legal professionals must closely watch the growing judicial challenges to state-driven social media regulations, as courts scrutinize statutes that impose age verification and limit speech under the First Amendment. The outcome here could influence how platforms approach compliance nationwide.
- On April 20, 2026, Judge Timothy Brooks halted enforcement of Act 900, Arkansas’s new social media law.
- Act 900 required age checks, parental consent for under-16 users, and default privacy protections for minors.
- The law also sought to end social media notifications to minors from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and prohibit ‘addictive practices.’
- Judge Brooks found the restrictions likely unconstitutional, echoing his March 2025 ruling enjoining a prior version of the law.
On April 20, 2026, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks granted a preliminary injunction against Arkansas’s Act 900, just one day before it was set to become law. Act 900 sought to restrict minors’ access to social media by mandating age verification and parental consent for users under 16.
- The act also barred platforms from using ‘addictive practices,’ defined vaguely within the statute, and required that privacy and safety settings for minors default to the highest protections.
- It further mandated that social media platforms halt sending notifications to minors between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
NetChoice, representing tech companies such as Meta and Snap Inc., challenged the law, arguing it imposed unconstitutional burdens on free speech. Judge Brooks agreed, determining that the law’s provisions likely violated the First Amendment and were unconstitutionally vague.
Judge Brooks wrote, “Arkansas cannot sentence speech on the internet to death by a thousand cuts.” Paul Taske of NetChoice applauded the decision, stating that the First Amendment ‘prohibits such blatant speech restrictions.’
This ruling follows a prior injunction in March 2025, when the original Social Media Safety Act (Act 689) was permanently enjoined on similar constitutional grounds by the same court.
The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office said it is considering its options and intends to "vigorously defend“ Act 900 moving forward.
Legal practitioners advising social media platforms should note the continuing judicial skepticism toward state-level internet speech restrictions, especially those involving broad definitions and new compliance burdens.
By the numbers:
- April 21, 2026 — scheduled effective date for Act 900 before injunction
- 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. — mandated blackout window for notifications to minors
- Under 16 — age threshold for parental consent and age checks
Yes, but: The state may continue to defend the law, and subsequent appeals could further impact enforcement or set additional legal precedents.