MISSOULA, Mont. (Legal Newsline) - A Montana law requiring confirmation of social media users' ages is being challenged in federal court by a free speech group.
A lawsuit was filed May 14 in federal court against Austin Knudsen, the attorney general of Montana, by Free Speech Coalition, Inc., Deep Connection Technologies, Inc., Charyn Pfeuffer, JFF Publications, LLC, Anna Louise Peterson, Lynsey Griswold, PHE, Inc., and Convergence Holdings, Inc.
The case revolves around a new law passed in Montana known as the Age Verification Act (S.B. 544). This act requires websites to verify the age of every user before providing access to material that could be harmful to minors.
The plaintiffs argue that this law places substantial burdens on website operators and content creators.
They claim that the act violates their rights under the First and Fourteenth amendments as well as the Commerce and Supremacy clauses of the United States Constitution. They are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief through this action.
The plaintiffs are represented by Natasha Prinzing Jones and Thomas J. Leonard from Boone Karlberg P.C.; D. Gill Sperlein from The Law Office of D. Gill Sperlein; and Jeffrey Keith Sandman from Webb Daniel Freidlander LLP.