Florida Appeals to Supreme Court Over Struck-Down Social Media Law
Florida asks the U.S. Supreme Court to review a controversial state law that limits how social media companies moderate content. The request follows contradictory rulings from two federal appeals courts regarding state-level speech regulations.
Florida asks the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on a state law that restricts how social media companies moderate user content. Attorney General Ashley Moody files a petition after two federal appeals courts issue contradictory rulings on similar state laws. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down key portions of Florida's Senate Bill 7072, determining that it is unconstitutional for the state to stop platforms from banning political candidates.
This legal request creates a direct conflict with a recent ruling from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upholds a parallel social media law in Texas. Unlike the Texas decision, the Florida court rules that social media platforms possess First Amendment rights when making decisions about permitting, removing, or prioritizing posts and users. Florida's law specifically prohibits platforms from banning state political candidates and large news outlets, while opening tech companies up to state lawsuits over their moderation practices.
NetChoice, an industry trade group representing major tech companies like Meta, Google, and Twitter, expresses confidence that the Supreme Court will ultimately side with the platforms. The organization points to over a century of legal precedent and the Constitution to argue that content moderation is a form of protected speech. While NetChoice welcomes the high court's review to resolve the conflicting lower court decisions, the final outcome remains difficult to predict as the nation's highest justices prepare to tackle the issue.