Free Press’ Matt Wood breaks down what will come next in the fight over laws in Texas and Florida that aim to prevent social-media platforms from moderating political speech.
Justice Elena Kagan said the platforms, like newspapers, deserve protection from governments’ intrusion in determining what to include or exclude from their space.
The court declined to rule on whether it was constitutional for states to pass legislation that limit the powers of social-media companies to moderate their content.
While the Court remanded these cases for more fact-finding by the lower courts, it noted laws that prevent platforms from deciding which speech it will or will not host are “unlikely to withstand First Amendment scrutiny.”
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Chevron will affect any area that federal agencies regulate, including telecom policy, environmental issues and reproductive justice.
The decision will permit the government to call on tech companies to remove falsehoods — which could be critical in the run-up to the presidential election.
“It’s crucial that lawmakers keep a core question in mind: Will Massachusetts invest in a new, sustainable future for local news?” said Free Press Action’s Candace Clement.
