{ "batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "articles": [ { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_anchor_ar_code", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Arkansas Code and Constitution of 1874: the General Assembly's Arkansas Law page (anchor)", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] The Arkansas General Assembly's own site (arkleg.state.ar.us, run by the Bureau of Legislative Research) lists the Arkansas Code and Constitution of 1874 under its Arkansas Law menu. The Code text itself is hosted by LexisNexis behind a JavaScript viewer, so the operative statute text in this batch is quoted from the signed Acts on arkleg.state.ar.us that enacted or reprint it. The age-verification statutes are in Title 4 (Business and Commercial Law), Chapter 88, Subchapter 11 (Act 612 of 2023) and Subchapter 14 (Social Media Safety Act).", "body": "The Arkansas General Assembly's own site (arkleg.state.ar.us, run by the Bureau of Legislative Research) lists the Arkansas Code and Constitution of 1874 under its Arkansas Law menu. The Code text itself is hosted by LexisNexis behind a JavaScript viewer, so the operative statute text in this batch is quoted from the signed Acts on arkleg.state.ar.us that enacted or reprint it. The age-verification statutes are in Title 4 (Business and Commercial Law), Chapter 88, Subchapter 11 (Act 612 of 2023) and Subchapter 14 (Social Media Safety Act).\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“Arkansas Law Arkansas Code and Constitution of 1874 | Uncodified Historic Legislation”\n\nNote: Anchor record: arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw. The Code link on that page leaves the site for Lexis (advance.lexis.com), which returns only a JavaScript shell to automated readers, so section text could not be quoted from the Code itself. Signed Act PDFs on arkleg.state.ar.us print the whole section when an Act amends it, with stricken and inserted words side by side.", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ArkansasLaw", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "Arkansas Law Arkansas Code and Constitution of 1874 | Uncodified Historic Legislation", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Arkansas Code (official publication)", "topic": "Arkansas Code and Constitution of 1874: the General Assembly's Arkansas Law page (anchor)", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_a_title", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1101 (Act 612 of 2023): Age verification for pornography websites: citation and title", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Act 612 of 2023 adds Subchapter 11 to Title 4, Chapter 88 of the Arkansas Code, to be cited as the 'Protection of Minors from Distribution of Harmful Material Act', approved April 11, 2023.", "body": "Act 612 of 2023 adds Subchapter 11 to Title 4, Chapter 88 of the Arkansas Code, to be cited as the 'Protection of Minors from Distribution of Harmful Material Act', approved April 11, 2023.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“4-88-1101. Title. This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the \"Protection of Minors from Distribution of Harmful Material Act\".”\n\nNote: The Act was signed 4/11/23 (printed at the end of the Act). The Act text contains no effective-date clause; under Arkansas practice an Act without one takes effect on the 91st day after adjournment, but that is not stated in the Act and is not claimed. See could_not_verify.", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=612.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "4-88-1101. Title. This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the \"Protection of Minors from Distribution of Harmful Material Act\".", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1101 (Act 612 of 2023)", "topic": "Age verification for pornography websites: citation and title", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_b_entity", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1103(1) (Act 612 of 2023): Whom the law binds: 'commercial entity' includes a sole proprietorship", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1103(1): 'commercial entity' means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, or other legally recognized entity, and includes a third party vendor; the duties in 4-88-1104 and 4-88-1105 are framed by reference to a website containing a substantial portion of such material.", "body": "Ark. Code 4-88-1103(1): 'commercial entity' means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, or other legally recognized entity, and includes a third party vendor; the duties in 4-88-1104 and 4-88-1105 are framed by reference to a website containing a substantial portion of such material.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(1)(A) \"Commercial entity\" means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, or other legally recognized entity. (B) \"Commercial entity\" includes a third party vendor;”\n\nNote: Whether an individual selling their own content through somebody else's platform is bound: the duty in 4-88-1104(a) is to use age verification 'before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors', and liability in 4-88-1105 is for a commercial entity that 'knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material that is harmful to minors on the internet from a website that contains a substantial portion' of such material. The text is silent on whether an individual selling content through another operator's website is within the duty, and no court holding was read.", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=612.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(1)(A) \"Commercial entity\" means a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, or other legally recognized entity. (B) \"Commercial entity\" includes a third party vendor;", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1103(1) (Act 612 of 2023)", "topic": "Whom the law binds: 'commercial entity' includes a sole proprietorship", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_c_threshold", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1103(10) (Act 612 of 2023): Threshold: 'substantial portion' is more than one third of the website's material", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1103(10): 'substantial portion' means more than thirty-three and thirty-three hundredths percent (33.33%) of total material on a website which meets the definition of material that is harmful to minors.", "body": "Ark. Code 4-88-1103(10): 'substantial portion' means more than thirty-three and thirty-three hundredths percent (33.33%) of total material on a website which meets the definition of material that is harmful to minors.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(10) \"Substantial portion\" means more than thirty-three and thirty-three hundredths percent (33.33%) of total material on a website which meets the definition of material that is harmful to minors as defined by this section;”", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=612.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(10) \"Substantial portion\" means more than thirty-three and thirty-three hundredths percent (33.33%) of total material on a website which meets the definition of material that is harmful to minors as defined by this section;", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1103(10) (Act 612 of 2023)", "topic": "Threshold: 'substantial portion' is more than one third of the website's material", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "failed", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "hollow_body", "strong_label_on_weak_content" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_hm_def", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1103(5) (Act 612 of 2023): Material harmful to minors: definition", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1103(5), created by Act 612 of 2023, defines 'material harmful to minors' by a three-part test: appeals to prurient interest as judged with respect to minors, depicts listed sexual body parts and acts in a manner patently offensive with respect to minors, and as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political and scientific value for minors.", "body": "Ark. Code 4-88-1103(5), created by Act 612 of 2023, defines 'material harmful to minors' by a three-part test: appeals to prurient interest as judged with respect to minors, depicts listed sexual body parts and acts in a manner patently offensive with respect to minors, and as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political and scientific value for minors.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(5) \"Material harmful to minors\" means: (A) Any material that the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find, taking the material as a whole and with respect to minors, is designed to appeal to, or is designed to pander to, prurient interest; (B) Any of the following material that exploits, is devoted to, or principally consists of descriptions of actual, simulated, or animated displays or depictions of any of the following, in a manner patently offensive with respect to minors: (i) Nipple of the female breast, pubic hair, anus, vulva, or genitals; (ii) Touching, caressing, or fondling of nipples, breasts, buttocks, the anus, or genitals; or (iii) Sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation, excretory functions, exhibitions of a sexual act and any other sexual act; and (C) The material taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value for minors;”\n\nNote: This is the definition in the Protection of Minors from Distribution of Harmful Material Act (age verification for websites). The definition is framed with respect to minors; no offence for sales to adults appears in the text quoted.", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=612.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(5) \"Material harmful to minors\" means: (A) Any material that the average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find, taking the material as a whole and with respect to minors, is designed to appeal to, or is designed to pander to, prurient interest; (B) Any of the following material that exploits, is devoted to, or principally consists of descriptions of actual, simulated, or animated displays or depictions of any of the following, in a manner patently offensive with respect to minors: (i) Nipple of the female breast, pubic hair, anus, vulva, or genitals; (ii) Touching, caressing, or fondling of nipples, breasts, buttocks, the anus, or genitals; or (iii) Sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation, excretory functions, exhibitions of a sexual act and any other sexual act; and (C) The material taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value for minors;", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1103(5) (Act 612 of 2023)", "topic": "Material harmful to minors: definition", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_d_methods", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1104 (Act 612 of 2023): Accepted verification methods", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1104: a commercial entity shall use a reasonable age verification method before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of harmful material; methods include a digitized identification card (including a digital copy of a driver's licence), government-issued identification, or any commercially reasonable method holding an Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2).", "body": "Ark. Code 4-88-1104: a commercial entity shall use a reasonable age verification method before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of harmful material; methods include a digitized identification card (including a digital copy of a driver's licence), government-issued identification, or any commercially reasonable method holding an Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2).\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“4-88-1104. Reasonable age verification methods. (a) A commercial entity shall use a reasonable age verification method before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors. (b) Reasonable age verification methods under subsection (a) of this section include providing: (1) A digitized identification card, including a digital copy of a driver's license under 27-16-601 et seq.; (2) Government-issued identification; or (3) Any commercially reasonable age verification method that holds an Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2).”", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=612.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "4-88-1104. Reasonable age verification methods. (a) A commercial entity shall use a reasonable age verification method before allowing access to a website that contains a substantial portion of material that is harmful to minors. (b) Reasonable age verification methods under subsection (a) of this section include providing: (1) A digitized identification card, including a digital copy of a driver's license under 27-16-601 et seq.; (2) Government-issued identification; or (3) Any commercially reasonable age verification method that holds an Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2).", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1104 (Act 612 of 2023)", "topic": "Accepted verification methods", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "thin_body", "source_unverifiable:fetch_failed:budget" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_e_retention", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1105(a)(2) (Act 612 of 2023): Data retention: no identifying information may be retained", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1105(a)(2): if a commercial entity or third party vendor performs a reasonable age verification, the commercial entity shall not retain any identifying information of the individual after access to the material has been granted.", "body": "Ark. Code 4-88-1105(a)(2): if a commercial entity or third party vendor performs a reasonable age verification, the commercial entity shall not retain any identifying information of the individual after access to the material has been granted.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(2) If a commercial entity or third party vendor performs a reasonable age verification, the commercial entity shall not retain any identifying information of the individual after access to the material has been granted.”", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=612.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(2) If a commercial entity or third party vendor performs a reasonable age verification, the commercial entity shall not retain any identifying information of the individual after access to the material has been granted.", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1105(a)(2) (Act 612 of 2023)", "topic": "Data retention: no identifying information may be retained", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "failed", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "hollow_body", "strong_label_on_weak_content" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_f_liability", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1105(a)(1) and (b) (Act 612 of 2023): Enforcement: civil liability, damages to the individual", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1105: a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on the internet from a website with a substantial portion of such material is liable if it fails to perform reasonable age verification; it is liable to an individual for damages resulting from a minor accessing the material, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. The Act provides a civil remedy (4-88-1102(b)) and states no criminal penalty and no Attorney General enforcement.", "body": "Ark. Code 4-88-1105: a commercial entity that knowingly and intentionally publishes or distributes material harmful to minors on the internet from a website with a substantial portion of such material is liable if it fails to perform reasonable age verification; it is liable to an individual for damages resulting from a minor accessing the material, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. The Act provides a civil remedy (4-88-1102(b)) and states no criminal penalty and no Attorney General enforcement.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(b) A commercial entity that violates this subchapter is liable to an individual for damages resulting from a minor accessing the material harmful to minors, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court. (c) A commercial entity that is found to have knowingly retained identifying information of an individual after access to the material has been granted is liable to the individual for damages resulting from retaining the identifying information, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court.”\n\nNote: Subsection (a)(1) states the knowledge standard. Subsection (d) exempts news or public interest broadcasts and cloud service providers; subsection (e) protects internet service providers and search engines that only provide access or connection. The legislative-intent section says the Act's intent is 'to provide a civil remedy for damages against commercial entities that distribute material harmful to minors' (4-88-1102(b)).", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=612.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(b) A commercial entity that violates this subchapter is liable to an individual for damages resulting from a minor accessing the material harmful to minors, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court. (c) A commercial entity that is found to have knowingly retained identifying information of an individual after access to the material has been granted is liable to the individual for damages resulting from retaining the identifying information, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court.", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1105(a)(1) and (b) (Act 612 of 2023)", "topic": "Enforcement: civil liability, damages to the individual", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_sm_title", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Social media age verification: who is bound", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Act 689 of 2023 creates a subchapter requiring a 'social media company' (an online forum on which an account holder may create a public profile, upload or create posts, view others' posts and interact) to verify the age of an account holder, using a third party vendor, and to obtain the express consent of a parent or guardian before an Arkansas user who is a minor becomes an account holder.", "body": "Act 689 of 2023 creates a subchapter requiring a 'social media company' (an online forum on which an account holder may create a public profile, upload or create posts, view others' posts and interact) to verify the age of an account holder, using a third party vendor, and to obtain the express consent of a parent or guardian before an Arkansas user who is a minor becomes an account holder.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(a) A social media company shall not permit an Arkansas user who is a minor to be an account holder on the social media company's social media platform unless the minor has the express consent of a parent or legal guardian. (b)(1) A social media company shall verify the age of an account holder.”\n\nNote: Numbered in the Act as a new Subchapter 11 of Title 4, Chapter 88; Act 900 of 2025 later amended it as 'Social Media Safety Act, 4-88-1401 et seq.'. The law binds a 'social media company', not an individual account holder. The definition of 'social media company' excludes, among others, a media company that exclusively offers subscription content in which users follow or subscribe unilaterally and whose primary purpose is not social interaction (4-88-1101(7)(B)(i)).", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=689.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(a) A social media company shall not permit an Arkansas user who is a minor to be an account holder on the social media company's social media platform unless the minor has the express consent of a parent or legal guardian. (b)(1) A social media company shall verify the age of an account holder.", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1101 et seq. as enacted by Act 689 of 2023 (Social Media Safety Act)", "topic": "Social media age verification: who is bound", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_sm_excl", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1101(7) (Act 689 of 2023): Social media age verification: unilateral subscription content excluded", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Act 689 of 2023 defines 'social media company' as an online forum letting an account holder create a public profile, upload or create posts, view others' posts and interact with other account holders, and excludes a media company that exclusively offers subscription content in which users follow or subscribe unilaterally and whose platforms' primary purpose is not social interaction.", "body": "Act 689 of 2023 defines 'social media company' as an online forum letting an account holder create a public profile, upload or create posts, view others' posts and interact with other account holders, and excludes a media company that exclusively offers subscription content in which users follow or subscribe unilaterally and whose platforms' primary purpose is not social interaction.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(B) \"Social media company\" does not include a: (i) Media company that exclusively offers subscription content in which users follow or subscribe unilaterally and whose platforms' primary purpose is not social interaction;”\n\nNote: Whether a fan-subscription platform is within this exclusion depends on its design; no court or agency has been read on that question.", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=689.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(B) \"Social media company\" does not include a: (i) Media company that exclusively offers subscription content in which users follow or subscribe unilaterally and whose platforms' primary purpose is not social interaction;", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1101(7) (Act 689 of 2023)", "topic": "Social media age verification: unilateral subscription content excluded", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_sm_pen", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Ark. Code 4-88-1103(b)-(c) (Act 689 of 2023): Social media age verification: enforcement and penalty", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Act 689 of 2023: a prosecutor or the Attorney General may initiate an enforcement action against a social media company that violates the age-verification and parental-consent rule, and the company is liable to an individual for $2,500 per violation, court costs and attorney's fees, or for damages from a minor accessing the platform without parental consent.", "body": "Act 689 of 2023: a prosecutor or the Attorney General may initiate an enforcement action against a social media company that violates the age-verification and parental-consent rule, and the company is liable to an individual for $2,500 per violation, court costs and attorney's fees, or for damages from a minor accessing the platform without parental consent.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“(b)(1) As authorized under 4-88-103, a prosecutor may initiate an enforcement action against a social media company that allegedly violates 4-88-1102. (2) As authorized under 4-88-104, the Attorney General may initiate an enforcement action against a social media company that allegedly commits a violation of 4-88-1102. (c)(1) A social media company that violates this subchapter is liable to an individual for: (A) A penalty of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per violation, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court; or (B) Damages resulting from a minor accessing a social media platform without his or her parent's or custodian's consent, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court.”", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=689.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "(b)(1) As authorized under 4-88-103, a prosecutor may initiate an enforcement action against a social media company that allegedly violates 4-88-1102. (2) As authorized under 4-88-104, the Attorney General may initiate an enforcement action against a social media company that allegedly commits a violation of 4-88-1102. (c)(1) A social media company that violates this subchapter is liable to an individual for: (A) A penalty of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per violation, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court; or (B) Damages resulting from a minor accessing a social media platform without his or her parent's or custodian's consent, including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees as ordered by the court.", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1103(b)-(c) (Act 689 of 2023)", "topic": "Social media age verification: enforcement and penalty", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "failed", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "hollow_body", "strong_label_on_weak_content" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_sm_eff", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Act 689 of 2023, section 2: Social media age verification: stated effective date", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Act 689 of 2023 states in a DO NOT CODIFY section that it is effective on and after September 1, 2023.", "body": "Act 689 of 2023 states in a DO NOT CODIFY section that it is effective on and after September 1, 2023.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. EFFECTIVE DATE. This act is effective on and after September 1, 2023.”\n\nNote: Whether any court has enjoined the Act is not answered here: the order is on a federal court site that was not opened, so the provision is NOT recorded as simply in force.", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2F&file=689.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2023%2F2023R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "SECTION 2. DO NOT CODIFY. EFFECTIVE DATE. This act is effective on and after September 1, 2023.", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Act 689 of 2023, section 2", "topic": "Social media age verification: stated effective date", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "unverified", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "legal_fetch_over_cap" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } }, { "id": "learn_r483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_483_arkansas_age_verification_laws_sm_circ", "category": "Safety", "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Social media age verification: protection against circumvention (2025 amendment)", "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Act 900 of 2025 amends the Social Media Safety Act (4-88-1401 et seq.) and adds 4-88-1405, requiring a social media platform to implement technological measures to prevent circumvention of age verification, including monitoring for suspicious activity and preventing a minor from registering outside Arkansas and then using the account in Arkansas; it applies to accounts created twelve months on and after enactment.", "body": "Act 900 of 2025 amends the Social Media Safety Act (4-88-1401 et seq.) and adds 4-88-1405, requiring a social media platform to implement technological measures to prevent circumvention of age verification, including monitoring for suspicious activity and preventing a minor from registering outside Arkansas and then using the account in Arkansas; it applies to accounts created twelve months on and after enactment.\n\nWhat Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us) actually says:\n\n“4-88-1405. Protection against circumvention. (a) A social media platform shall implement technological measures to prevent circumvention of age verification protocols, including without limitation: (1) Monitoring for suspicious activity, including without limitation the use of false or repeated credentials; and (2) Preventing a minor from accessing a platform by registering for an account outside of the State of Arkansas and then using the account within the State of Arkansas.”", "source_type": "official", "source_link": "https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=900.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R", "last_verified": "2026-10-19", "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE", "source_tier": "A", "source_publisher": "Arkansas General Assembly (Bureau of Legislative Research, signed Act PDF on arkleg.state.ar.us)", "evidence_quote": "4-88-1405. Protection against circumvention. (a) A social media platform shall implement technological measures to prevent circumvention of age verification protocols, including without limitation: (1) Monitoring for suspicious activity, including without limitation the use of false or repeated credentials; and (2) Preventing a minor from accessing a platform by registering for an account outside of the State of Arkansas and then using the account within the State of Arkansas.", "volatility": "low", "from_batch": "483-arkansas-age-verification-laws", "subject": "Ark. Code 4-88-1405 (Act 900 of 2025)", "topic": "Social media age verification: protection against circumvention (2025 amendment)", "applies_to_country": "US", "applies_to_scope": "AR", "tags": { "lane": "any", "stage": "setting_up", "region": [ "us-ar" ], "platform": "any", "topic": [ "unclassified" ], "explicitness": "any" }, "verification": { "status": "failed", "label": "Unverified - being checked", "reasons": [ "hollow_body", "strong_label_on_weak_content" ], "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z" } } ] }