Court Rules Against Social Media Companies in Free Speech Censorship Fight

'We reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say'

Logos of the Big Tech giants are displayed on a tablet on Oct. 1, 2019. Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has ruled in favor of a Texas law that seeks to rein in the power of social media companies like Facebook and Twitter to censor free speech.

The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans (pdf), handed down on Sept. 16, upholds the constitutionality of a Texas law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott last year and delivers a victory to Republicans in their fight against big tech censorship of conservative viewpoints.