A Florida federal judge has halted enforcement of a law in the state that would have barred most social media platforms from allowing youth to have accounts, saying it is a violation of the First Amendment’s protections on free speech.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge has barred state officials from enforcing a Florida law that would ban social media accounts for young children, while a legal challenge against the law plays out. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker issued the order Tuesday, blocking portions of the law from taking effect.

A federal judge Tuesday blocked a 2024 Florida law aimed at keeping children off social-media platforms, saying it likely violates First Amendment rights and pointing to the role of parents in