NetChoice, a trade association whose members include Facebook and Twitter, argues that SB12 should not be enacted in Texas because it violates the First Amendment by regulating free speech through the requirement imposed on private companies “to carry content that is against its policies or preferences.”
In a statement, Carl Szabo, the vice president and general counsel at NetChoice, echoed similar concerns about Florida’s newly minted law.
“The First Amendment prohibits the government from compelling or controlling speech on private websites. If this law could somehow be enforced, it would allow lawful but awful user posts including pornography, violence, and hate speech that will make it harder for families to safely navigate online,” Szabo said.