Tech Groups Ask for Permanent Ban Against Fla. Social Media Law
Florida’s social media law should be permanently enjoined since the U.S. Supreme Court found it potentially violates the First Amendment, tech industry groups told a federal court Friday, submitting an amended lawsuit (see 2411010060). The Supreme Court in July ruled…
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the First Amendment protects social media platforms’ ability to moderate content, sending the tech industry’s suits against Florida and Texas laws back to the lower courts (see 2407010053). The Computer & Communications Industry Association and NetChoice on Friday submitted an amended complaint with the U.S. District Court for Northern Florida (docket 4:21-cv-0220) (see 2411010060). The Supreme Court settled the question whether platforms like Facebook and YouTube engage in First Amendment-protected activity when moderating and organizing content, said CCIA and NetChoice. Citing the high court’s ruling, the complaint said: “In short, when the government regulates websites’ ‘choices about the views they will, and will not, convey,’ it ‘interfere[s] with protected speech.’” The associations asked that the district court rule SB-7072’s challenged provisions facially violate the Constitution and award the plaintiffs damages. “The government cannot force any speaker, be it a private citizen or a social media website, to say or disseminate speech against their will,” said CCIA Chief of Staff Stephanie Joyce in a statement Friday.