On Wednesday, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against Texas’ new social media law, blocking provisions that would have prevented social media platforms from moderating online content. 

Chamber of Progress led an amicus brief with nine other tech and civil society groups urging the court to stop the law, highlighting how the law would provide safe harbor to hate speech, disinformation, and other harmful posts if it were allowed to go into effect. The judge’s decision today follows a similar ruling in Florida, where a federal court blocked an unconstitutional social media law preventing content moderation.“Texas’ law would have forced online platforms to pull the referees from social media sites, giving anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists, and insurrectionists free reign,” said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. “Today’s court decision is a big victory for social media users who want less hate speech and misinformation in their online communities.

Read the full amicus brief submitted by Chamber of Progress and nine other tech and civil society groups.

During passage of the social media law, Chamber of Progress urged Texas Democrats to vocally oppose the measure. Lawmakers on the left spoke out against the bill, questioned its sponsor for his history of posting violent content online, and offered amendments that would have protected the ability of social media sites to take down posts related to Holocaust denial and terrorism. The Democratic amendments were ultimately rejected.

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a new center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future. We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.