Company claims law violates free speech protections
X, the company formerly known as Twitter, has filed a lawsuit against the state of California over a law passed last year aimed at increasing transparency on social media platforms. The law, Assembly Bill 587, requires companies to disclose their content policies and how they respond to violations. X argues that the law infringes upon the 1st Amendment’s free speech protections and forces social media companies to moderate constitutionally-protected speech deemed undesirable by the state.
Challenges in regulating social media
The lawsuit sheds light on the ongoing challenges faced by lawmakers in ensuring the safety of social media platforms amidst concerns of hate speech, child sexual abuse, and misinformation. X’s lawsuit comes as the company reevaluates its own enforcement policies, particularly since Elon Musk assumed control of the platform last year. The company states that it restricts the reach of tweets that may violate its rules, but has stopped publishing formal reports on its enforcement practices.
Content moderation, the practice of reviewing and deleting posts that violate standards, has become a politically charged issue. While Democrats argue that social media platforms have not done enough to moderate content, Republicans accuse them of censoring speech. X, a member of NetChoice, which previously sued the state over an online safety law, believes that the new law will burden social media companies with excessive content moderation and potential financial penalties.
Lawmaker defends legislation
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the author of Assembly Bill 587, defends the legislation as an effort to increase transparency rather than impose content moderation policies. He emphasizes that the law does not mandate companies to have content moderation policies and expresses confidence that the court will find the law constitutional.
The California attorney general’s office has not yet responded to the lawsuit.