Elon Musk’s X Corp filed a lawsuit on Tuesday challenging a new law in New York that requires large social media platforms to disclose how they handle hate speech, arguing that the measure violates the U.S. Constitution.
The complaint alleges that bill S895B, known as the Stop Hiding Hate Act, violates free speech rights under the First Amendment.
Deciding what content is acceptable on social media platforms “engenders considerable debate among reasonable people about where to draw the correct proverbial line,” X said. “This is not a role that the government may play.”
The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court also 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,” Reuters reported.