5th Circuit blocks Texas law requiring websites to filter "harmful" speech
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has blocked a Texas law that would have required websites to filter 'harmful' speech for minors. The court ruled that the law is preempted by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from being treated as publishers of user content.
Why it matters
This ruling reinforces the legal protections of Section 230 and limits state-level attempts to regulate online content moderation.
Unfiltered 5th Circuit blocks Texas law requiring websites to filter “harmful” speech Age verification is okay, but filtering is preempted by Section 230, judges find.
13 Credit: Getty Images | Kathryn8 Credit: Getty Images | Kathryn8 Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Texas cannot enforce a law’s requirement that websites block minors from seeing harmful speech, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled on Friday.
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