Supreme Court debates state laws restricting social media content moderation: 'A bunch of landmines'

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The Supreme Court expressed strong concerns on Monday about the sweep of state laws restricting how large social media companies moderate user content, a digital free speech case with implications in the political and business arenas.

Separate laws that passed in Florida and Texas and are now challenged in court would require Big Tech companies like X, formerly Twitter, and Facebook to host third-party communications but prevent those businesses from blocking or removing users' posts based on political viewpoints.

The regulations aim to address what some lawmakers call "censoring" of conservative messages, and banning politicians, like former President Trump, for violating subjective policies over offensive or "problematic" content.

But tech firms claim a First Amendment right as private entities to editorially regulate the billions of daily voices on their platforms — from political discourse and recipe sharing, to incitement and obscenity.

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Justices on both sides of the ideological spectrum openly questioned whether the regulations would make it impossible for private companies to operate as a forum for free speech and expression.

"It covers almost everything," said Justice Sonia