Elon Musk’s X loses court bid to block California content moderation law
Al JazeeraJAN 2 2024
Nothing in this law would force Musk, the self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist, to do anything unconstitutional. The law merely requires X to report to the state data on what type of content it has banned, removed, or otherwise moderated. Musk’s decision to cut back on his content-moderation staff isn’t the state’s problem, and he’ll have to find a way to comply with the law.
This law is yet another move by those in government — in this case, leftists from a blue state — to stifle freedom of expression, particularly speech they don’t agree with or like. The law is so vague that social media platforms like X will have to block almost everything, and parody sites won’t be able to operate. The state should stay out of the content moderation game and allow the global town square to continue to function unhindered.