Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a bill finding that each Texan maintains a fundamental interest in the free exchange of ideas and information on social media platforms. Staffers for The Heartland Institute testified in the Lone Star State in recent weeks, and earlier in the year advocating for such free-speech protections – especially for conservatives and libertarians, who have been targets of “Big Tech” censorship by having their social media accounts suspended, canceled, or blocked.
The new law, HB 20, holds that social media platforms function as common carriers and will be required to publicly disclose information regarding their practices on content management – including the way the companies curate and targets content to users, moderate content, and use algorithms. The law stipulates that the same social media platforms shall provide an easily accessible complaint system that users can turn to if they have been censored or de-platformed. As an enforcement appliance, the law grants that the attorney general may bring an action against a social media platform in violation of the law.
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