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| Texas regulates how platforms modify content |
The governor of Texas has signed a law regulating how social media companies edit content.
The new law was passed in early September in the form of HB 20 and prohibits blocking or restricting content based on the opinions of users or others, regardless of whether opinions are expressed via the social media platform itself.
HB 20 also requires that social media services disclose how they promote and edit content, and allow transparency reports similar to those from Facebook, Google, and other large online companies.
When platforms are notified of illegal content, the law requires them to review it within 48 hours. This guideline reflects at least one proposal by the US Congress.
Unlike Congress, state lawmakers cannot repeal Section 230 of the Telecommunications Regulatory Act. It provides a variety of illegal contents on the Internet to be scanned.
Companies that violate the rules can face civil lawsuits or criminal prosecution from the attorney general. The law applies to network services with more than 50 million active users. These network services allow people to contact other users primarily to post information, comments, messages, or photos, but do not include Internet service providers, news sites, or websites. .
Texas regulates how platforms modify content
The law also includes a section on email platforms that intentionally prohibits sending emails to third parties based on email content, unless the company believes they are malicious or contain code or obscene content that is illegal or in violation of any applicable law. . Dirk Saskatchewan has anti-spam laws.
The Texas law is one of many efforts by the Republican Party to intimidate Internet companies into removing unwanted but legal content. It is a struggle that conservative politicians have defined as the struggle against censorship of companies that look like telephone companies or other communications facilities.
It follows a similar law in Florida that covers social media. This is even though it usually does not contain some distinct sentences. Examples include the protection of political candidates and the exemption of park owners.
However, the future of the base is uncertain. It is subject to legal challenge by critics and is not designed to evade judicial review.
A Florida law judge banned social media in June. Assume this forces sellers to host presentations that violate their standards.
NetChoice, the plaintiff in the Florida lawsuit, issued a statement condemning the law. "HB 20 contains the same First Amendment flaws as the Florida law, which was blocked in federal court this summer," he said in a statement.