New Developments in the World of Section 230
Trump vs. Twitter: The Feud Over Section 230 and Online Censorship
Are social media companies more like newspapers or phone companies? This oft-debated question in social media legal circles, while seemingly trivial on the surface, represents a momentous debate over whether—and how...more
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision may have substantial effects on social media censorship. Based on their content-moderation policies, social media platforms have taken actions to suppress certain categories of speech,...more
“My freedom of speech stimulates your freedom to tell me I’m wrong.” – P.J. O’Rourke - In what is certainly the most important First Amendment decision of the term, if not recent memory, the US Supreme Court this summer will...more
The concepts of defamation and free speech often collide, raising questions about where the line should be drawn between the right to express oneself and the responsibility to prevent harm to others. While free speech is one...more
In its recent opinions in Linke v. Freed and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier, the U.S. Supreme Court considered if and when public officials violate the First Amendment rights of members of the public by blocking them from the...more
Here are curated AG and federal regulatory news stories highlighting key areas in which state and federal regulators’ decisions are having an impact across the US: • AGs Ask FCC to Answer Their Call to Restrict Use of AI...more
19 Republican AGs, joined by Republican legislative leaders from Arizona, filed an amicus brief in U.S. Supreme Court cases Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton, supporting Florida and Texas laws, respectively, that bar...more
21 Democratic AGs filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit asking it to overturn a preliminary injunction barring communication between federal officials and agencies and social-media...more
A recent and ongoing case, In re Murthy, regarding social media platforms’ censorship of free speech, included discovery from the White House Office of the Press Secretary. This discovery brings former Biden Press Secretary...more
In this edition of #NoFilter, we will examine a recent September 16, 2022, decision from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upholding a Texas state law impacting the power of social media platforms to moderate content on...more
On May 31, the US Supreme Court reinstated an injunction first implemented in December 2021 regarding HB 20, the Texas law prohibiting social media companies from certain content moderation based on viewpoints. Its decision...more
On February 7, 2020, officials confirmed the death of Dr. Li Wenliang, the first COVID-19 whistleblower in China who warned people worldwide about early infections in Wuhan. The Chinese internet saw an outpouring of grief and...more
The huge search and social media platforms of the internet are reaching an inflection point. For decades they have been able to deflect attention from their role as content providers. The issue is now front and center in our...more
As part of Spilman's Decoded: Technology Law Insights e-newsletter, Spilman members Joseph Schaeffer and Nick Mooney discuss Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and how it plays into President Trump's recent...more
Greenberg Glusker and Farrer & Co are delighted to present a joint webinar during which reputation management and media specialists from both firms will discuss: - Key legal developments in the UK and US related to Big...more
In a purported attempt to safeguard free speech, President Trump has issued an order “Preventing Online Censorship,” that would eliminate the protections afforded by one of our favorite topics here at Socially Aware, Section...more
A recent column in the Detroit News, by John Patrick Leary, an assistant professor of English at Wayne State University, advanced the proposition that concern over the recent protests on campus over free speech is a...more
Campuses across the country are wrestling with how free speech, tolerance, diversity and politics mix in a higher education environment. Recently, the Oversight Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee examined the...more
It’s been a disappointing few months for Machete, Danny Trejo’s “Mexploitation” character created by Robert Rodriguez. After making powerful enemies in Mexico, former Federale Machete found himself a day laborer and...more
What do panhandlers and pro-life demonstrators have in common? According to Circuit Judge Daniel Manion of the Seventh Circuit, the First Amendment now makes it tougher to silence the voice of either in the public square....more
Two legendary figures in the ongoing fight for student free speech rights are asking the Supreme Court to revisit this thorny area of First Amendment jurisprudence. John and Mary Beth Tinker were petitioners forty-six years...more