ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr won a key legal fight Thursday, Oct. 15, clearing the way for Georgia’s new social media law to move forward after a federal appeals court lifted an earlier block on enforcement.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued an opinion in Carr’s favor on Thursday, Oct. 15, vacating a preliminary injunction that had prevented the state from enforcing Senate Bill 351. The case was sent back to district court for further proceedings.SB 351 requires parental consent before covered social media platforms can enter into account agreements with children 15 and younger. The law also requires covered platforms to verify users’ ages and, if a user is under 16, to secure parental consent before providing the child with an account.The law was challenged by NetChoice, a trade association for the social media industry. NetChoice sued, alleging SB 351 is unconstitutional and seeking to block its enforcement. A district court issued a preliminary injunction on June 26, 2025, and Carr filed a notice of appeal immediately afterward.Carr called the ruling a significant victory.“This is a major win for Georgia families and a huge blow to those who would stand in the way of commonsense solutions to protect our kids,” Carr said. “We have said before — it shouldn’t take lawsuits, investigations or legislation to do the right thing. This is about keeping our children safe from online predators and mental health harms. Nothing is more important.”In its decision, the Eleventh Circuit held that NetChoice’s facial First Amendment challenge failed because the trade association offered no evidence to support its claim that enforcing SB 351 against most of the platforms covered by the law would be unconstitutional. The court also reversed the district court’s findings that parts of SB 351 were void for vagueness and preempted by Section 230.Carr’s office has argued the law is aimed at protecting minors from harms linked to social media use. In Carr’s opening brief, it said, “Thanks to social media, minors have increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and body-image problems. Youth suicide rates have increased The dangers aren’t restricted to mental illness. Bullying, intimidation, harassment, and sexual predation thrive on social media platforms.”The brief also stated, “Social media companies know about all those problems. But not only have they persisted in trying to keep kids addicted, they’ve actively tried to hide from the public the dangers and negative effects.”
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