A federal judge has blocked a new Massachusetts law that bars sexually explicit images from being shared via text message and the Internet, saying it’s too broad and infringes on free-speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.
The law was challenged by several groups, including the Association of American Publishers, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, because although it was designed to protect minors from sexual predators, they said it also prevented adults from viewing material they have a protected Constitutional right to see.
The law effectively banned from the Internet anything that may be considered “harmful to minors,” according to Courthouse News Service.
