The Supreme Court has blocked a Texas law that prohibits major social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube, from restricting content based on point of view.
The law was passed by Governor Greg Abbott in response to the alleged bias of major platforms against conservatives.
But in 5-4 decisions (read here), the judges have suspended the law at least temporarily until the appeals are heard and the courts can know the merits of the case. Justice Elena Kagan was joined by conservatives Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch.
Chris Marches, a NetChoice attorney who led the case on behalf of social media platforms, said: “The Texas HB 20 is a constitutional carrier, or, as the district court put it, an example of ‘burning a house’. . a pig We are committed to ensuring that the First Amendment, the open Internet and users who depend on it are protected from the unconstitutional excesses of Texas.
The Computer and Communications Industry Association also challenged the law.
In contrast, Alito wrote: “While I understand the court’s apparent desire to postpone the execution of HB 20 while the appeal is pending, the district court’s preliminary ruling was in itself a significant invasion of state sovereignty and it shouldn’t be Texas. . “We need to ask federal courts for preliminary reinforcement before their laws go into effect.”
Last week, the Court of Appeals overturned a similar law in Florida, ruling that it was “substantially likely” to have violated the First Amendment.
The law prohibited platforms with at least 50 million active users from censoring content at their discretion.
The law stated that social media platforms functioned as “common carriers due to their dominant market position,” suggesting that they should be neutral in how they process third party content on their sites.
But the platforms have challenged this notion. The provisions of the 1996 Act, known as Section 230, give platforms immunity in the way they regulate the content of their sites.
Source: Deadline
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
