The U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 14 declined to block Mississippi’s new social-media statute, allowing the state to begin enforcing age-verification and parental-consent rules for users under 18 while the underlying constitutional challenge proceeds. Trade group NetChoice, whose members include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, had sought emergency relief after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a lower-court injunction. The high court issued an unsigned order without noted dissents; in a separate statement, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the measure likely violates First Amendment protections but that NetChoice had not met the demanding standard for interim relief. Enacted in 2024 as House Bill 1126, the law requires platforms to make “commercially reasonable” efforts to verify users’ ages and obtain express parental consent before minors create accounts. Companies that fail to comply face civil fines of up to $10,000 per violation and potential criminal penalties under the state’s deceptive-trade statute. Thursday’s decision is the Supreme Court’s first action on a general social-media age gate and comes amid a national push by state legislatures to curb minors’ online activity. Courts in several other states have blocked similar measures, ensuring the broader clash between child-safety initiatives and free-speech rights will remain on the Court’s docket.