[ad_1]
![]()
Texas urged the Supreme Court on Wednesday to allow the enforcement of its social media law over the objection of tech industry trade groups.
A federal appeals court last week lifted a blockade of state law that aims to eliminate digital censorship by directing social media platforms with more than 50 million active users not to discriminate against the viewpoints of Texas users.
Two tech industry trade groups appealed the lower court’s decision, and Judge Samuel A. Alito asked Texas to respond by Wednesday evening. Texas told the supreme court that its laws did not violate the First Amendment.
“Applicants whose members include Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter (platforms) hereby claim a First Amendment right to refuse service to their customers based on the alleged viewpoints of those customers,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “This Court has never recognized such a right and should not now do so to waive a stay.”
Technology trade groups, the Computer and Communications Industry Association and NetChoice have asked the supreme court to reverse the federal appeals court’s decision to lift the blockade last week.
Technology groups said the Texas law represented an “unprecedented attack on the editorial discretion of private websites”, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
SEE ALSO: Gas prices hit new all-time highs – again
“HB20 supports platforms of any kind, such as propaganda claiming that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is legitimate, ISIS propaganda claiming extremism is guaranteed, neo-Nazi or KKK slanders that deny or support the Holocaust, and encourage children to promote any kind of objectionable gaze. will force the angle to spread. Engage in risky or unhealthy behaviors such as tech groups, eating disorders,” he wrote. “HB20 brings with it the associated burdensome operational and disclosure requirements designed to cool the millions of meaningful editorial choices that platforms make every day.”
A resolution could come quickly after tech groups’ urgent appeal to re-enforce the blockade of Texas law. Trade groups filed the application with the court on Friday, and Judge Alito on Saturday sought a response before Wednesday evening.
[ad_2]
Source link
