Judge Strikes Down Texas Social Media Law

A federal judge in Austin struck down a Texas law that was supposed to take effect this week. Legislatures meant House Bill 20 to keep social media platforms from censoring users. Governor Abbott claimed some of those companies actively “silence conservative ideas and values.” UNT law professor Brian Owsley says the first amendment prohibits the government from limiting free speech, but Facebook and Twitter are private companies. Judge Robert Pittman also noted that smaller platforms like Parler have no problem with conservatives posting what they like. He also said that a court blocked a similar Florida law from June.