SCOTUS to decide social media free speech cases

The United States Supreme Court announced Friday that it will decide to allow social media laws in Texas and Florida that prevent social media platforms from blocking content with certain views. The Washington Post The reported hearings will likely have major implications for free speech online and the future of US elections.

Although they differ in specifics, these Republican-led state laws regulate the content moderation policies of social media platforms. A Texas law prevents platforms from removing content based on users’ viewpoints, while a Florida law prevents platforms from banning politicians and candidates, Politico reported.

Conservatives claim that content containing their viewpoints is removed from the platform at a higher rate than left-leaning content, and thus the need for these laws. However, tech companies and trade groups claim these laws are unconstitutional and violate the First Amendment.

The Texas and Florida laws came in the wake of the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021 coup, which resulted in Facebook, Instagram, X, and Twitch banning former President Donald Trump. Since then, X and Meta have reinstated his accounts.

Both laws are currently blocked, and SCOTUS likely won’t rule on whether they’re constitutional until next year, according to Politico. In 2022, SCOTUS expressly struck down the Texas law.

The Supreme Court’s next term, which begins Monday, the Associated Press reported, has added several other cases to its purview, including a dispute over the FBI’s “no-fly” list and a copyright case involving Includes rapper Flo Rida.