Judge Dismisses Musk’s X Suit Against New York Law on Hate-Speech, Disinformation

A judge dismissed a suit by Elon Musk’s X Corp. that sought to block a New York law requiring social media companies to disclose how they deal with hate speech, extremism and disinformation, ruling that “the First Amendment poses no obstacle” to the law.

X sued New York last year claiming provisions of New York’s “Stop Hiding Hate Act” violate state and federal free speech guarantees. X was seeking an order declaring the provisions void and blocking them from being enforced.

US District Judge John Cronan dismissed the case on Wednesday. The judge said the law requires social media companies only “to speak truthfully about their offerings,” supporting the free speech goal of “the discovery of truth.”

Lawyers for X didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the ruling.

The law requires X and other major social media companies to file reports detailing how they define and moderate hate speech, racism, extremism, radicalization, disinformation and misinformation, harassment and foreign political interference. X has successfully challenged a similar California law, winning court-ordered limits on the law, known as AB 587.

The case is X Corp. v. James, 25-cv-05068, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Photo: Elon Musk Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg