New York: Elon Musk’s X Corp sued New York on Tuesday, challenging the constitutionality of a state law requiring social media companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, disinformation, harassment and foreign political interference.
In a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, X said New York’s law subjects it to lawsuits and potentially large fines unless it discloses “highly sensitive and controversial speech” that the First Amendment protects and the state may dislike.
X said New York’s law was based on a nearly identical California law whose enforcement was partially blocked by a federal appeals court last September because of free speech concerns.
The lawsuit quoted a letter from two legislators who sponsored the law, which said X and Musk in particular had a “disturbing record” on content moderation “that threatens the foundations of our democracy.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who enforces the state’s laws, is the named defendant in X’s lawsuit. Her office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)