Texas passes social media 'de-platforming' law

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Texas passes social media 'de-platforming' law

10 September 2021

The US state of Texas has made it illegal for social media platforms to ban users "based on their political viewpoints".

Prominent Republican politicians have accused Facebook, Twitter and others of censoring conservative views.

Former US president Donald Trump was banned from Facebook and Twitter after a group of his supporters attacked the Capitol in January.

The social networks have all denied stifling conservative views.

However, they do enforce terms of service which prohibit content such as incitement to violence and co-ordinated disinformation.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58516155

[Scrivener7]

1. Or what? They have no jurisdiction to do this.

[PSPS]

5. Just more MAGA nonsense. It clearly violates the 1st amendment.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Further, social media banning for misinformation & incitement to insurrection. They are corporations

GQP loves corporations and has fought to enlarge their "rights" -- "personhood" and all.

Corporations can serve anybody they want to or not if it is not based on race, skin colour, religion etc. Political beliefs are not granted special status.

If it is a monopoly like Facebook, they have to be more careful how they operate. But the basic principle applies.

So the criteria in the legislation is not an issue. It is not happening and even if it were it would be okay.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. Correct. For example, DU bans people based on political views and is within its rights to do so. .nt

[PSPS]

2. More MAGA cred for abbott's '24 run, but it's blatantly unconstitutional.

[Hugin]

9. Do you prefer 'blatantly' or 'flagrantly'...

I lean toward 'flagrantly' in this instance.

[Hugin]

3. Ironically, a violation of the First Amendment.

[Dream Girl]

4. They are out of control! Batshit crazy!

[dalton99a]

6. It's a race to the bottom between Abbott and DeSantis

[MagickMuffin]

7. I hate to break it to them but, Facebook, Twitter and others are not Government entities

So, if these entities have terms of service that prohibit certain content then I hope this "law" will get challenged.


My state keeps getting more absurd by the day.

[Hugin]

15. Interestingly, it was a Texan who got the exception for cable/network entities in the first place.

Which made them private entities outside of the broadcast regulations governed by the FCC.

I don't remember the guy's name, but, he held a virtual monopoly on cable television in the late '70s, early '80s. He eventually was successful in lobbying to get satellite tv under the exclusion.

Boy, I bet they're missing the so-called fairness doctrine right now.

Once again, a big fat Sharpie line can be drawn between this stupid law and TFG. He's been burning up the phone lines and he expects his installees on the SCOTUS to bend to his will. As he sees it, they owe him. In the mafia sense.

[Beastly Boy]

8. So the law is completely toothless.

Unless prominent Republican politicians who were banned by social media claim that lying their asses off is a "political platform".

I would loooove to see how this plays out in court!

[Mad_Machine76]

12. People aren't being banned because of their "political viewpoints"

I see plenty of Democrats and Republicans on there. Where people get in trouble of course is when they advocate violence, law-breaking, and disinformation, none of which are "political viewpoints". I mean, Abbott doesn't want actual NAZIs free-roaming social media, does he?

[lagomorph777]

18. Yes, Abattoir does want Nazis roaming around freely on media and on the streets.

That's pretty much his schtick.

[Mad_Machine76]

20. That's probably true

I would point out, however, that, people are still getting banned on every single right-wing "alternative" social media platform that has been created. So, really, you *can* end up being too extreme even for these alternatives.

[In It to Win It]

13. They're looking for this to be challenged in court so that it gets more publicity

[HAB911]

14. SM companies should simply block a IPs in TX

problem solved

[Andy823]

16. Once again

this is all being "directed" by trump, and if the don't do what he wants, they don't get his endorsement. Most republican leaders are just too stupid these days to figure out trump is in this for himself, and he could care less about them.

[lagomorph777]

17. That'll last about two seconds.

Blatantly unconstitutional. Abattoir is on a path to self-immolation and perpetual ridicule.

[Javaman]

19. texas under herr abbott.

as I have been saying: texas: the only fascist state in the union.

[lagomorph777]

21. Really? You don't think DeathSentence is as bad as Abattoir?

[Javaman]

22. maybe because I'm from texas, but I look at desatan as mussolini to abbotts hitler.

I guess it's just a matter of degrees.

[Buns_of_Fire]

23. Go for it, Greg. Set up your own telecommunications network

(like the Texas power grid), isolate it to operate only in Texas, and you'll have complete control over the companies that will operate entirely within Texas.

Until then, Greg, blow it out your ass. (If that isn't a legal term, it should be.)

[Hekate]

24. Well la-dee-dah. Those are private businesses, for starters.