Supreme Court sidesteps a ruling on laws in Florida and Texas that would regulate social media platforms.
The Supreme Court on Monday said it is putting off a ruling for now on whether social media laws adopted by Florida and Texas violate the 1st Amendment.
Instead, the justices sent those cases back to lower courts to consider how those laws would apply in specific situations.
Speaking for the unanimous court, Justice Elena Kagan said the lawyers for NetChoice, the group that sued the states, and the lower court judges who ruled so far made a mistake by focusing broadly on free-speech principles without considering how the laws would apply in different circumstances.
“In sum, there is much work to do below on both these cases, given the facial nature of NetChoice’s challenges. But that work must be done consistent with the 1st Amendment, which does not go on leave when social media are involved,” she said.
All nine justices agreed with the outcome.
Monday’s decision leaves unresolved whether states may play a role in deciding what appears on popular platforms that are seen by tens of millions of viewers.
