A federal judge has blocked parts of Texas’ social media law that aims to protect minors from harmful content online.

A group of Texas minors between the ages of middle school and college challenged the measure, which regulates social media websites and took effect on Sept. 1. The law is titled the Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment Act. 

Judge Robert L. Pitman, an Obama appointee in the Western District of Texas, granted the youths’ request Friday to halt aspects of the law that he said likely run afoul of the Constitution.

Specifically, the court enjoined the law’s requirements that social media platforms monitor and filter content targeted at minors, police advertisements that minors can view, and its age-verification requirement.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, has said that he believes social media harms children. He argued that the youth did not have standing — or sufficient legal injury — to sue and that there is no First Amendment violation with the law.

The judge, though, said he believed the minors did have standing and could be harmed by the restrictions’ impact on their constitutional rights.

“Plaintiffs are users of the Internet—minors and those that engage with them—with specific, demonstrated interests in sharing and engaging with the types of content that [the law] prohibits,” the judge wrote. “This demonstrates an injury-in-fact.”

The case is Students Engaged in Advancing Texas v. Paxton.

The minors were represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

“The court determined that Texas’ law was likely unconstitutional because its provisions restricted protected speech and were so vague that it made it hard to know what was prohibited,” said Bob Corn-Revere, chief counsel at FIRE. “States can’t block adults from engaging with legal speech in the name of protecting children, nor can they keep minors from ideas that the government deems unsuitable.”

A spokesperson from the Texas attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Texas has a similar law pending before the Supreme Court that requires porn companies in the state to have users enter personal identification information to ensure only adults are accessing the content.

A group of porn companies have challenged the law as running afoul of the First Amendment.

A decision from the justices is expected by the end of June. That case is Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton.

• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.