Federal Judge Rules Big Tech Has No “Freewheeling Right to Censor”

 

Federal Judge Rules Big Tech Has No “Freewheeling Right to Censor”

Fifth Circuit Federal Judge Andrew S. Oldham reversed course for courts and the government when he ruled on Friday that America’s social media platforms, platforms such as Twitter and Facebook (Meta), do not have a “freewheeling First Amendment right” to censor people on their platforms.

Specifically, Judge Oldham ruled against a lawsuit challenging HB 20. HB 2o was a bill pushed by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott which prohibits those social media platforms that have over 50 million monthly users from censoring people’s speech based on their political viewpoints. The text of HB 20 provides that:

The legislature finds that:

(1) each person in this state has a fundamental interest in the free exchange of ideas and information, including the freedom of others to share and receive ideas and information;

(2) this state has a fundamental interest in protecting the free exchange of ideas and information in this state;