Lobby groups representing Facebook’s interests*Twitter, Google, and other tech companies have made an urgent request to the US Supreme Court for a strike against a Texas law that bars major social media platforms blocking users based upon their political views.
The law was approved by the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned an earlier blockade by a district court. The document states that social network companies with over 50 million users are not allowed to block them based on political views. It also requires that the public be made aware of how the platform administrations manage content.
Texas Governor Rick Perry signed the law. Greg Abbott, who is a Republican Party member, signed this law into law in September 2017. NetChoice and Computer and Communications Industry Association sued to block it. A preliminary injunction was issued by Robert Pitman, Austin District Judge. The judge said that the law violates the First Amendment’s constitutional right to free speech for social network administrators.
The urgent request was made to the U.S. Supreme Court by the authors “to allow the verified motivational part to remain in force [решения]District Court at time of appeal.
* It is now included in the list o public associations and religious organisations for whom the court has made a final determination to liquidate or ban all activities on the grounds provided by Federal Law No. 114-FZ of July 25, 2002 “On countering extremist activity”.