Appeals court: Florida law on social media unconstitutional

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida law intended to punish social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for allegedly discriminating against conservative thought is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded that it was overreach for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led Florida Legislature to tell the social media companies how to conduct their work. The ruling upholds a similar decision by a Florida federal judge on the 2021 law. It was part of an overall conservative effort to portray social media companies as hostile to conservative ideas.