Texas, Florida Set to Appeal Against Social Media Censorship to US Supreme Court

Texas and Florida's representatives are set to appear on the US Supreme Court this Monday for a monumental decision on social media censorship.

The two states are expected to provide arguments that will sustain earlier legislation demanding social media companies to not de-platform certain political posts online.

Texas, Florida: Reinstate Accounts, Posts Related to Jan. 6 Riot

Both cases are related to the Jan. 6 riot after Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube banned former President Donald Trump's accounts for violating policies against incitement to violence.

It can be remembered that Trump was indicted of four felony charges for his involvement in overturning the 2020 election result and as a co-conspirator for the attack on the Capitol building.

Florida and Texas, both Republican-led states, passed laws in 2021 to force social media platforms to restore the accounts related to the incident but were blocked for supposedly violating the First Amendment.

The Republican states are set to face tech industry groups, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which represent social media companies.

Supreme Court Monumental Decision Comes Ahead of 2024 Elections

The Supreme Court's decision to appeal is expected to not only affect how content censorship will be used on social media platforms but will also impact the upcoming elections.

Texas and Florida's appeal comes in as the US heads closer to the 2024 Presidential Elections where Trump and President Joe Biden will face again for reelection.

It does not help that posts denying the 2020 election results have returned on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) as more election disinformation ramps up online.

This is in addition to potential violations of the First Amendment, in which Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press argued would hinder the "liberty accorded to the press and other institutions to collect and organize other speakers' perspectives for their own audiences."

Social media platforms, particularly Meta, have been increasing political censorship on their platforms amid criticisms for providing space for accounts spreading misinformation about politicians and oppositions.