The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review Florida and Texas laws that would severely limit the ability of large social media platforms to police political misinformation. The case will shape online rules heading into the 2024 election. Judges will consider whether the Republican-backed legal measures infringe on the free speech rights of social media companies by limiting their freedom to decide how material is presented and requiring them to provide detailed explanations for content moderation decisions. The Supreme Court will rule by the middle of next year.
The measures face opposition from two industry trade groups, NetChoice LLC and the Computer and Communications Industry Association. These represent MetaPlatformsInc. , Alphabet Inc. Groups for Google and Company
The trade association argued in the Florida case that the laws "pose a serious threat to the way social media sites provide services to their users." The Biden administration has largely supported these objections from industry associations.
The Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down much of Florida's law as a potential First Amendment violation. The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit upheld the Texas law but put a hold on its implementation to allow time for an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Texas, Florida and industry groups have asked the Supreme Court to intervene in at least some of the issues in both cases.