Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice have filed a brief Friday before the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a case involving a social media law in Texas.
The Fifth Circuit federal court is expected to hear oral arguments in New Orleans on May 9 on the state’s appeal of CCIA and NetChoice’s successful lawsuit against a Texas content moderation bill. Previously, a Texas judge granted CCIA and NetChoice’s motion for a preliminary injunction challenging the constitutionality of Texas’s new law. The law would allow bad actors to sue social media companies for not allowing them to post material on their platforms.
CCIA has advocated for free speech online for more than 25 years. This includes the First Amendment right for private businesses to determine what material is appropriate for their communities. The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“Governments have no business dictating what speech must appear online. Digital services are constantly combating foreign disinformation, propaganda, and anti-American extremism. Turning Texas into an online safe space for these adversaries puts Americans at risk from these evolving online threats.”