Supreme Court Halts Texas Law on Social Media Content Moderation

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Link to tweet

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/supreme-court-halts-texas-law-on-social-media-content-moderation

The US Supreme Court blocked a Texas law that critics say would fundamentally transform Twitter Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook by requiring them to allow hate speech and extremism.

Over four dissents, the justices put the measure on hold while a constitutional challenge goes forward in a lower court, granting a request from tech groups that represent the platforms. A federal appeals court let the law, known as HB20, go into effect earlier this month.

“It will be impossible for these websites to comply with HB20’s key provisions without irreversibly transforming their worldwide online platforms to disseminate harmful, offensive, extremist, and disturbing content,” argued the tech groups, NetChoice and Computer and Communication Industry Association.

The Texas law bars social media platforms with more than 50 million users from discriminating on the basis of viewpoint. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other Republicans say the law is needed to protect conservative voices from being silenced.

The measure gives Texas residents “equal access to the modern public square and the many benefits resulting from free and open dialogue in that square,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued in court papers. He said platforms could still bar broad categories of content, including pornography and spam.

[J_William_Ryan]

1. The Texas law is a clear violation of the First Amendment right to freedom of association

and freedom of the press.

Unfortunately, for this radical, extreme, and partisan Court with an overwhelming majority of conservative ideologues, settled, accepted precedent is meaningless.

Prohibiting bigoted, racist hate speech is not to 'silence' conservative voices.

[onenote]

2. Kagan would have denied the application to vacate the Fifth Circuit

She didn't explain why.

[Nevilledog]

3. Huh....

[Pyryck]

4. So is Gov Abbott equating/saying that

conservative voices are full of harmful, offensive, extremist, and disturbing content?

Just asking a question.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. U.S. Supreme Court blocks Texas ban on social media censorship

This is a weird opinion

Link to tweet

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/U-S-Supreme-Court-blocks-Texas-ban-on-social-17210517.php?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked a new Texas law barring large social media companies from blocking users based on their viewpoint, putting the measure back on hold as a legal challenge to it moves through the federal courts.

In a 5-4 ruling, the high court reinstated a lower court’s order temporarily blocking the law. Earlier this month, two tech trade groups challenging the law had asked the Supreme Court to step in after a panel of judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — one of the most conservative courts in the nation — revived the law with a one-sentence order.

The law enables Texas residents and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office to sue large social media companies that remove posts or block users based on the “viewpoint of the user or another person.” The law applies to platforms with more than 50 million monthly active users......

The law enables Texas residents and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office to sue large social media companies that remove posts or block users based on the “viewpoint of the user or another person.” The law applies to platforms with more than 50 million monthly active users.