On Thursday, U.S. Senators on the Judiciary Committee concluded a multi-day confirmation hearing of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court. While several questions touched on issues of online speech and tech policy, others centered on Judge Jackson’s record as a judge, a public defender, and Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Should Judge Jackson be confirmed, she would be the first Black woman and the first public defender to serve as a Justice on the nation’s highest court.

“There’s a reason Judge Jackson has been confirmed by the Senate three times already – she’s incredibly qualified and has always worked to apply the law equally and fairly,” said Chamber of Progress CEO and Founder Adam Kovacevich. “During this week’s confirmation hearings, she reiterated that online content moderation is protected by the First Amendment. And her empathy towards struggling Americans and her support for American workers are valuable qualities that give her a fresh perspective on the bench.”

On Tuesday, Judge Jackson was questioned by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) about her stance towards legislation that would effectively prohibit social media companies from moderating misinformation and hate speech on their platforms. Similar legislation passed last year in Florida and Texas but has since been struck down by the courts. Judge Jackson responded that such laws “regulating along viewpoint lines under the First Amendment,” are generally impermissible.

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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.  

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