Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association joined Cato Institute, Chamber of Progress, and NetChoice in filing amicus briefs today in Supreme Court cases involving content moderation decisions online. The groups did not weigh in on the underlying issue of whether politicians can block their constituents from following their various online accounts.
In the brief, the joint amici ask the Court to make it clear that government officials’ use of social media and other digital services does not transform these private entities into arms of the state or supersede their First Amendment rights to moderate online content. Further, the amici ask the Court to observe that government officials are not authorized to “commandeer” the editorial decisions of private companies. “The companies involved are neither state actors nor state instrumentalities for First Amendment purposes,” the brief explains.
CCIA and its fellow amici also ask the Court to confirm that “the private companies that own and operate those services have the authority to revoke or deny an account to any person, and to remove or block any user content, at their sole discretion.”
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for tech policy that advances innovation for more than 50 years.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff Stephanie Joyce:
“At a time when governmental bodies seek more control over online speech and the private companies that enable it, CCIA asks the Supreme Court to uphold the independence of private companies as curators and editors of online expression that enjoy full First Amendment protection.”