Center for Democracy & Technology joins amicus brief against Mississippi's age verification law

Center for Democracy & Technology joins amicus brief against Mississippi's age verification law

Technology
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Alexandra Reeve Givens President & CEO at Center for Democracy & Technology | Official website

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On July 25, 2025, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) joined an amicus brief led by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Expression (FIRE) in a case before the Supreme Court. The brief is supported by several organizations including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), Student Press Law Center, Woodhull Freedom Foundation, and Professor Clay Calvert. It backs NetChoice's request to prevent a Mississippi statute from being enforced. This law mandates age verification for accessing social media sites and is argued to infringe upon First Amendment rights by limiting access to constitutionally protected expression.

The amici contend that Mississippi's law discriminates against speech based on content and violates First Amendment rights of both adults and minors. They argue that the law is not solely aimed at preventing minors from accessing sexually explicit material, which they do not have a constitutional right to view. Consequently, they assert that a recent Supreme Court decision supporting a Texas law on age verification for explicit content does not apply here. According to the brief, "The government does not have 'a free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed.'" The argument emphasizes that Mississippi has failed to justify its broad restrictions on minors' online communication and idea exchange. As such, this unconstitutional law should be prevented from taking effect.

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