Breaking Court Ruling On Social Media Censorship

(DCWatchdog.com) – Happening Now: In a significant ruling supporting the right of a state to prevent censorship on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, a federal appeals court has ruled that Texas’ new social media law can go into effect. The ruling overturns a lower court judge who tried to stop the law.

The one-sentence decision in favor of Texas came from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.

The recently enacted Texas law is geared toward stopping digital censorship and instructs social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, which have more than 50 million active users, to not discriminate against the opinions of Texans.

After the court issued the ruling, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted, “My office just secured another BIG WIN against BIG TECH. #Texas’s HB20 is back in effect. The 5th Circuit made the right call here, and I look forward to continuing to defend the constitutionality of #HB20.”

Showing their displeasure with the court’s ruling, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice, the two litigants who brought suit against Texas, issued statements.

CCIA President Matt Schruers wrote, “This unexplained order contravenes established First Amendment law. No option is off the table. We will do what is necessary to ensure that the free market, not government fiat, decides what speech digital services do and do not disseminate.”

Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel of NetChoice, said they would appeal the decision, meaning the case could eventually make it to the United States Supreme Court.

This is a breaking news report from the DC Watchdog.

What is your opinion? Please email [email protected] and share your thoughts. Do you support the Texas law that outlaws censorship by social media companies? Why or why not?

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