Big Tech companies are pursuing a lawsuit against the state of Texas, something which would go against the policies of the state that focuses on social media censorship. The latest law that was signed by the governor is about the "Freedom from Censorship Act", which would keep Texans safe from social media guidelines and restrictions.
Big Tech vs. the State of Texas
The Big Tech companies, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, among other platforms, have now filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas, particularly that of the new law.
The H.B. 20, also known as the "Freedom from Censorship Act", would allow people to be safe from getting censored or have their posts taken down by social media companies. Note that it could be anything that they post, despite violating the rules and regulations, as well as meaning harm to other users.
The law focuses on the right of people to practice freedom of speech, something that is found in the US Constitution and the First Amendment.
The representatives of these Big Tech, including that of Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice, have filed a lawsuit against the state.
Read Also : Facebook Research Shows Instagram to be Toxic, Harmful to Teenage Girls; Studies Kept from Public
Texas's Freedom from Censorship Act
According to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, the state of Texas has signed the "Freedom from Censorship Act," and it would prevent the social media companies from censoring people on the platform. This was backed by Texas governor, Gov, Greg Abbott, which has sealed the deal to give more freedom to Texans on social media.
The law would allow Texans to post or comment on anything without the repercussion of being removed or takedown by Facebook and other social media platforms. The law protects them from it, and if the social media companies removed it, they would be compelled to answer to the law.
Social Media under State Laws
Social Media companies have rules and regulations, including that Community Guidelines from Facebook and rules from Twitter, which keep the show running and look into the posts of people. Recently, Facebook has allowed satirical posts to be published despite it being misinformation or fake news.
In Florida, a recent law that Governor Ron DeSantis has signed talked about the sanctions it would give to social media for "de-platforming" a politician, despite misusing or violating Community Guidelines. This would be somehow similar to Texas's censorship law that has been recently passed and gives people the right to express themselves online.
However, as what the Big Tech companies have focused on, too much freedom would give users more harm than good and might be the reason for the platform to get out of hand.
Also, full freedom would give people the chance to misuse social media platforms to propagate bad practices and beliefs that are harmful to society.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Richard
