Postponement of Utah Social Media Law Prompts Judge to Strike Briefing Scheduling

U.S. District Judge David Barlow for Utah in Salt Lake City vacated the court’s Feb. 12 hearing on NetChoice’s motion for a preliminary injunction to block Utah from enforcing the state’s Social Media Regulation Act (see 2312230004), said his docket text order Monday (docket 2:23-cv-00911). The order cited the statute’s delayed implementation date of Oct. 1 from March 1 and the possibility it will be “altered during Utah's legislative session.” The judge also struck the current briefing schedule and ordered the parties to meet and confer and to file a joint notice by March 15 proposing an updated briefing schedule. Friday's motion from state Attorney General Sean Reyes (R) said the legislature was likely to “repeal and replace” the law during the current legislative session, obviating the need for “emergency disfavored relief when there is no emergency or immediate threat of harm.” NetChoice’s opposition Monday said the statute “is still the law” and it’s still “set to take effect,” so NetChoice “still needs preliminary injunctive relief on behalf of its members.”