Washington – Supreme Court Justices will consider Friday whether to grant a hearing on the Florida and Texas social media laws that may violate constitutional free speech protections. The Court will meet to hear further details and a decision could be made on whether to hear the cases as early as this week or over the next month.
In addition to internet users, who post content online, the case is of keen interest to constitutional scholars, state legislators considering similar laws, and a range of businesses that host online forums where users can comment or post.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for free speech online for nearly 30 years.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President Matt Schruers:
“Most but not all lower courts are in agreement that these sort of laws asserting government control over speech are unconstitutional. The level of rancor as some government officials argue online services are doing too much versus too little to remove dangerous content is high and the understanding of the law is low. The Supreme Court’s time would be well served by weighing in on this key constitutional issue on government interference into free speech that has been at the core of our democracy for more than 200 years.”