• The US Supreme Court declined to block Mississippi's law requiring social media age verification.
• Justice Kavanaugh stated the law is likely unconstitutional but allowed its enforcement to continue.
• The law mandates parental consent for minors and could impose civil penalties for violations.
• NetChoice, representing major tech companies, argues the law infringes on free speech rights.
• The decision follows a series of legal battles over similar social media regulations in various states.

The US Supreme Court has decided not to intervene in a Mississippi law that requires social media platforms to verify users' ages and obtain parental consent for minors, allowing the law to take effect while legal challenges proceed. This decision follows a request for a stay by NetChoice, a trade group representing major tech companies such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, which argues that the law violates the First Amendment's free speech protections, according to Reuters and NPR.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, while concurring with the decision, expressed concerns that the law is "likely unconstitutional" but cited that NetChoice had not demonstrated sufficient grounds to issue a temporary block on the law. "The Mississippi law is likely unconstitutional," he remarked, highlighting the legal complexities involved in balancing free speech with regulatory measures for child protection, according to Al Jazeera and India Times.

Under the new law, social media platforms face civil penalties up to $10,000 for failing to comply with the age verification requirements, intended to combat potential risks to minors online. Despite these aims, NetChoice contends that this law infringes on essential free speech and expresses confidence in its legal challenge, suggesting the measures imposed are overly broad, as stated by both AA and Reuters.

Mississippi officials defend their law as a necessary step to shield children from potential predatory behaviors online, arguing that age verification and parental consent are standard practices for protecting minors across various platforms. The legal tension surrounding this law reflects broader national debates on online safety and free speech, as various states pursue their own regulatory measures concerning social media, as noted in NPR and Al Jazeera.