Justices appear uncertain about the application of broad editorial regulation related to the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the social media restrictions imposed by the states of Florida and Texas this week, with the justices expressing concerns over the arguments both sides of the case were making.
The lawsuit was filed by tech trade groups representing social media giants, including Meta, Google, and Snap, claiming that the state laws regulating their ability to moderate content violate their First Amendment rights. The states of Florida and Texas claim that the laws were necessary to protect the First Amendment rights of their constituents.
One argument was made that platforms’ content moderation is protected speech under the First Amendment, as the states’ laws could be viewed as suppression of speech “by the government.” Another was regarding whether or not platforms have the editorial right to remove or censor the free speech of their users.
The justices concluded that more discussion and research into this complex topic was required.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For discernment for the Supreme Court justices as they seek to determine the rights to freedom of speech between social media companies and users of the technology.
- For state governing officials as they try to protect the free speech of their constituents.
Sources: Reuters, SCOTUSBlog
