Social Media Laws Backed by GOP Draw US Supreme Court Scrutiny
The US Supreme Court agreed to review Florida and Texas laws that would sharply restrict the ability of the largest social media platforms to police political misinformation in a case that will shape the rules online in the run-up to the 2024 election.
The justices will consider whether the Republican-backed measures violate the free speech rights of social media companies by limiting their freedom to decide how material is presented and requiring detailed explanations for content-moderation decisions. The court will rule by the middle of next year.
The measures are facing challenges from two industry trade associations, NetChoice LLC and the Computer & Communications Industry Association. The groups which represent Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc. s Google and X Corp., the company formerly known as Twitter Inc. say the laws would impose onerous requirements and put platforms at risk of being overrun by spam and bullying.
The laws pose a grave threat to how social media websites provide their services to users, the trade associations argued in the Florida case. The Biden administration is largely backing the challenges.
The ultra-double-plus-conservative 5th Circuit.