(DCWatchdog.com) – There has been a significant ruling by the United States Supreme Court halting a new Texas law that impacts social media platforms, political viewpoints, and free speech.
The Supreme Court, in a split decision, has blocked Texas’s new social-media censorship law that prohibits social media platforms from banning users over political expression the platforms find to be in violation of their posting rules while the issue is litigated in lower courts.
As National Review observes:
“The Supreme Court voted 5-4 to block Texas’s social-media censorship law that prohibits tech titans from de-platforming users over political expression.
“The decision did not evaluate the law on its merits but prevents it from going into effect while the case proceeds in federal courts, which will determine whether it can be enforced.
“The High Court’s ruling comes after a federal appeals court reinstated the Texas law earlier this month. Prior to that in December, a federal district court judge ruled in favor of the industry groups and suspended the law’s implementation pending further litigation, arguing that the First Amendment permits a company to moderate content on its platform.”
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, and Elena Kagan dissented from the majority in a 5-4 split decision, saying they would have allowed the law to remain in effect.
As enacted, the Texas law prohibits social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook from banning political candidates and content based on viewpoint.
What is your opinion about the United States Supreme Court’s decision to block Texas’s social-media censorship law that prohibits social media platforms from banning users over political expression the platforms find to violate their posting rules while the issue is litigated in lower courts? Please email your thoughts and views to [email protected]. Thank you.
