A bit of sanity from the U.S.: a federal court ruled in the NetChoice v. Griffin case that a particular implementation of #ageverification is unconstitutional because it restricts protected speech of adults online by requiring ID and blocks those who don't provide it.

https://www.engadget.com/social-media/arkansas-social-media-age-verification-law-blocked-by-federal-judge-194614568.html

#NetChoice sues to block #Maryland’s Kids Code, saying it violates the First Amendment

https://www.theverge.com/news/604930/netchoice-sues-to-block-marylands-kids-code-saying-it-violates-the-first-amendment

#NetChoice Sues To Block Maryland's #KidsCode, Saying It Violates the #FirstAmendment - Slashdot
#maryland #privacy #ageverification

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/02/03/2028246/netchoice-sues-to-block-marylands-kids-code-saying-it-violates-the-first-amendment?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

ICYMI: CDT’s Becca Branum argues in a recent blog post that the recent #SCOTUS ruling in Moody v. #NetChoice settles little on platform #transparency: https://cdt.org/insights/moody-v-netchoice-settles-little-on-platform-transparency/

CDT’s Samir Jain in Roll Call discussing the #Netchoice decision and how #ContentModeration choices made by social media services are protected by both #Section230 and the #FirstAmendment. https://rollcall.com/2024/07/09/ruling-boosts-social-media-free-speech-protections-some-say/

@CenDemTech’s VP of Policy Samir Jain spoke with Texas’ KETR Radio about the recent #Netchoice decision that challenged the Texas and Florida social media laws. https://www.ketr.org/news/2024-07-02/u-s-supreme-court-rules-against-texas-social-media-laws

@CenDemTech’s Kate Ruane in the Washington Post on the recent #SCOTUS #Netchoice decision and its implications for #ContentModeration. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/02/netchoice-scotus-content-moderation-speech/

〝Today’s ruling makes clear there’s no social media exception to the First Amendment. The government has no business dictating to platforms what opinions they must host. The court rightly rejects the idea that lawmakers have more authority over speech online than they do offline. That’s a big win for free speech and a free internet.〞
https://www.thefire.org/news/fire-statement-moody-v-netchoice-and-netchoice-v-paxton

Great to see this Washington Post piece from @willoremus that lines up with what we published yesterday in our @internetsociety response to the #NetChoice decision - that the Supreme Court upheld the right to content moderation: https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2024/07/us-supreme-court-upholds-right-of-websites-to-moderate-content/

Please give his newsletter a read!

From: @willoremus
https://mastodon.social/@willoremus/112717218459636502

Breaking News: In a 9-0 decision in #NetChoice v. Moody & NetChoice v. Paxton, #SCOTUS sent the Texas & Florida social media laws back to the lower courts, but Justice Kagan’s majority opinion is a win for free expression

Not the most important SC decision today, but still... #FirstAmendment #NetChoice
Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Tech Platforms’ Free Speech Rights https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/01/us/supreme-court-free-speech-social-media.html?unlocked_article_code=1.300.Trck.yFGTifsBh-d4

Knight Institute comments on Supreme Court ruling in #NetChoice cases involving Florida and Texas social media laws. See our statement on today’s decision from @jameeljaffer below. https://knightcolumbia.org/content/knight-institute-comments-on-supreme-court-ruling-in-cases-involving-florida-and-texas-social-media-laws

Not a lawyer but this seems to be saying that content moderation isn’t censorship because platforms have 1A rights, too. Also seems to say that labeling is not censorship. Gosh. How could the Twitter Files have gotten this so wrong? #NetChoice

“A serious misunderstanding of First Amendment precedent and principle…”

Major slapdown of Fifth Circuit in #Netchoice cases:

"But it is necessary to say more about how the First Amendment relates to the laws’ content-moderation provisions, to ensure that the facial analysis proceeds on the right path in the courts below. That need is especially stark for the Fifth Circuit."

Today is the FINAL DAY of US Supreme Court decisions.

In 10 minutes (10am US ET), as in previous weeks, I'll be:

- Refreshing https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/slipopinion/23

- Watching the SCOTUSblog live blog: https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/07/announcement-of-opinions-for-monday-july-1/

- Watching Katie Barlow's livestream on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scotusblog

There are only 3 decisions left - NetChoice (my personal focus), an administrative case, and President Trump immunity - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pending_United_States_Supreme_Court_cases#October_Term_2023_cases

- 35 minutes until time with the US Supreme Court... like yesterday and the day before, I'll be:

- Refreshing https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/slipopinion/23

- Watching the SCOTUSblog live blog: https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/06/announcement-of-opinions-for-friday-june-28/

- Watching Katie Barlow's livestream on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scotusblog

As has been the case all along, I'm just hanging here waiting for the #NetChoice cases, since the Internet Society filed an amicus brief: https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2023/12/can-you-kick-the-trolls-out-of-your-online-forum-u-s-supreme-court-to-decide/

But...

1/2

If you are a journalist and IF the US Supreme Court announces a decision in #NetChoice cases today, please feel free to message me if you want comments on the decision.

A colleague and I have a perspective: https://www.internetsociety.org/blog/2023/12/can-you-kick-the-trolls-out-of-your-online-forum-u-s-supreme-court-to-decide/

(And if not today, Monday!)