Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/16pdf/15-1194_08l1.pdf
Page Number: 18.0

Cite as:  582 U. S. ____ (2017) 

5 

ALITO, J., concurring in judgment 

reasonable  for  States  to  try  to  stop  abuse  from  occurring
before it happens. 

C 
1 

It  is  not  enough,  however,  that  the  law  before  us  is 
designed to serve a compelling state interest; it also must 
not  “burden  substantially  more  speech  than  is  necessary 
to  further  the  government’s  legitimate  interests.”    Ward, 
491  U. S.,  at  798–799;  see  also  McCullen  v.  Coakley,  573 
U. S.  ___,  ___–___  (2014)  (slip  op.,  at  18–19).  The  North 
Carolina law fails this requirement. 

A straightforward reading of the text of N. C. Gen. Stat.
Ann.  §14–202.5  compels  the  conclusion  that  it  prohibits
sex  offenders  from  accessing  an  enormous  number  of 
websites.  The  law  defines  a  “commercial  social  network-
ing  Web  site”  as  one  with  four  characteristics.    First,  the 
website  must  be  “operated  by  a  person  who  derives  reve-
nue  from  membership  fees,  advertising,  or  other  sources 
related to the operation of the Web site.”  §14–202.5(b)(1). 
Due  to  the  prevalence  of  advertising  on  websites  of  all 
types,  this  requirement  does  little  to  limit  the  statute’s
reach. 

Second,  the  website  must  “[f]acilitat[e]  the  social  intro-
duction  between  two  or  more  persons  for  the  purposes  of
friendship,  meeting  other  persons,  or  information  ex-
changes.”  §14–202.5(b)(2).  The term “social introduction” 
easily  encompasses  any  casual  exchange,  and  the  term
“information  exchanges”  seems  to  apply  to  any  site  that
provides an opportunity for a visitor to post a statement or 
comment  that  may  be  read  by  other  visitors.    Today,  a 
great many websites include this feature. 

Third,  a  website  must  “[a]llo[w]  users  to  create  Web 
pages or personal profiles that contain information such as 
the name or nickname of the user, photographs placed on 
the  personal  Web  page  by  the  user,  other  personal  infor-