Judge temporarily blocks parts of new Texas law aimed to crackdown on minors and social media

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- Texas is looking to crack down on how social media handles teens, but a new law that went into effect this week will have to wait longer to see if it works.

On Friday, Federal Judge Robert Pitman issued a nearly 40-page decision that could impact your kid's social media use. In it, Pitman broke down arguments from tech companies and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over the SCOPE Act.

The bill, House Bill 18, passed last year stands for "Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment."

PREVIOUS STORY: New Texas laws, including social media restrictions, went into effect on Sept. 1

Here's what it does: It prohibits large social media companies from data collection on minors, bans targeted advertising, only allows financial transactions with parental consent, and prohibits access to content such as suicide, substance abuse, and grooming.

The SCOPE Act was set to go into effect on Sept. 1. However, late last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of the bill.

The judge said forcing companies to block certain politically charged terms, such as grooming, is too vague. While the judge blocked some parts of the law, some aspects are now in effect.

Companies aren't required to monitor and filter. However, they still must block data collection and have age requirements in place.

This isn't a done deal. Since the judge only temporarily blocked parts of the law, it'll move forward where another court will look at the bill and make a determination.

This is a ruling that could impact how social media handles your kids when they use it.

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