⚠️ Texas takes tech law into its own hands

As the U.S. ponders antitrust actions and changes to Section 230, Texas could beat the rest of the country to the punch.

• Key leaders have made several moves against tech this year: In January, the state’s attorney general started an investigation against Twitter, Apple, Google and Facebook. He sought all correspondence related to content moderation in the wake of Trump’s social media bans. 

• A related action is percolating in the Texas legislature: Lawmakers have filed a bill that would make it illegal in Texas for any large website or app to remove users or content based on political or religious views. The governor, Greg Abbott, has endorsed it. To state the obvious, some constitutional questions may get in the way. 

Twitter fights back

Answering the investigation, Jack Dorsey’s company filed a lawsuit. Twitter has accused Texas of retaliation for the removal of Trump and has sought to reduce the scope of Paxton’s request for correspondence.  

The Verdict

Experts often say California acts as a test case for tech laws the country may later adopt. You could say the same about Texas, except they would be a whole different set of laws.