Question Presented (AI Summary)
Whether the First Amendment prohibits viewpoint-, content-, or speaker-based laws restricting select websites from engaging in editorial choices about whether, and how, to publish and disseminate speech—or otherwise burdening those editorial choices through onerous operational and disclosure requirements
Question Presented (OCR Extract)
QUESTION PRESENTED Throughout our Nation’s history, the First Amendment’s freedoms of speech and press have protected private entities’ rights to choose whether and how to publish and disseminate speech generated by others. E.g., Manhattan Cmty. Access Corp. v. Halleck, 139 S. Ct. 1921, 1930 (2019); Hurley v. Irish-Am. Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Grp. of Boston, 515 U.S. 557, 570, 575 (1995); Miami Herald Publ’g Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241, 258 (1974). Over two decades ago, this Court held there is “no basis for qualifying the level of First Amendment scrutiny that should be applied to” speech disseminated on “the Internet.” Reno v. ACLU, 521 U.S. 844, 870 (1997). Today, many Internet websites publish and disseminate curated collections of expression generated by themselves and others. Nevertheless, the State of Texas—much like Florida before it—has enacted a viewpoint-, content-, and speaker-based law (House Bill 20 or “HB20”) targeting certain disfavored “social media” websites. HB20 Section 7 prohibits these websites from making editorial choices based on “viewpoint.” And HB20 Section 2 imposes on these websites burdensome operational and disclosure requirements, chilling their editorial choices. This Court has already ensured once that Respondent cannot enforce this law against Petitioners’ members. NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton, 142 S. Ct. 1715, 1715-16 (2022). The question presented is whether the First Amendment prohibits viewpoint-, content-, or speaker-based laws restricting select websites from engaging in editorial choices about whether, and how, to publish and disseminate speech—or otherwise burdening those editorial choices through onerous operational and disclosure requirements. (i)
Docket Entries
2024-07-01
Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Kagan, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Sotomayor, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, JJ., joined in full, and in which Jackson, J., joined as to Parts I, II and III-A. Barrett, J., filed a concurring opinion. Jackson, J., filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment. Thomas, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Alito, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Thomas and Gorsuch, JJ., joined. (Opinion together with No. 22-277).
2024-07-01
Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Kagan, J., delivered the <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/22-277new_8mjp.pdf'>opinion</a> of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Sotomayor, Kavanaugh, and Barrett, JJ., joined in full, and in which Jackson, J., joined as to Parts I, II and III-A. Barrett, J., filed a concurring opinion. Jackson, J., filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment. Thomas, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Alito, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Thomas and Gorsuch, JJ., joined. (Opinion together with No. 22-277).
2024-02-26
Argued. For petitioners: Paul D. Clement, Alexandria, Va.; and Elizabeth B. Prelogar, Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondent: Aaron L. Nielson, Solicitor General,
Austin, Tex.
2024-02-16
Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
2024-02-15
Reply of petitioners NetChoice, LLC, dba NetChoice, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-30
Record received from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. The record is electronic and is available with the Clerk.
2024-01-23
Brief amicus curiae of David Mamet filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-23
Brief amicus curiae of Life Legal Defense Foundation filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-23
Brief amici curiae of Law and History Scholars filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-23
Brief amicus curiae of Senator Josh Hawley filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-23
Brief amicus curiae of Students at Columbia Against Censorship filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-22
Motion of United States for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
2024-01-22
Brief amicus curiae of Professor Philip Hamburger filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-19
Record requested from the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
2024-01-18
Record received from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The record is electronic and is available on PACER.
2024-01-16
Brief of respondent Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas filed. (Distributed)
2024-01-10
Record requested from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
2024-01-05
SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, February 26, 2024.
2023-12-07
Brief amicus curiae of Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies filed.
2023-11-30
Brief of petitioners NetChoice, LLC, dba NetChoice, et al. filed.
2023-11-30
Joint appendix filed. (Statement of cost filed.)
2023-10-10
The following briefing schedule is adopted: Respondents in No. 22-277 and petitioners in No. 22-555 shall file opening briefs on the merits on or before Thursday, November 30, 2023, and the briefs shall bear a light blue cover. Any brief of an amicus curiae in support or in support of neither party shall be filed on or before Thursday, December 7, 2023, and the brief shall bear a light green cover. Petitioners in No. 22-277 and respondents in No. 22-555 shall file response briefs on the merits on or before Tuesday, January 16, 2024, and those briefs shall bear a light red cover. Any brief of an amicus curiae in support shall be filed on or before Tuesday, January 23, 2024, and the briefs shall bear a dark green cover. Reply briefs shall be filed in compliance with Rule 25.3, and the briefs shall bear a yellow cover. An amicus curiae shall file only a single brief in these cases.
2023-09-29
Petition GRANTED limited to Questions 1 and 2 presented by the Solicitor General in her brief for the United States as amicus curiae.
2023-08-30
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/26/2023.
2023-08-30
Supplemental brief of petitioners NetChoice, LLC, dba NetChoice, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2023-08-28
Supplemental brief of respondent Angela Colmenero, in her Official Capacity as Provisional Attorney General of Texas filed. (Distributed)
2023-01-23
The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States.
2023-01-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/20/2023.
2023-01-03
Reply of petitioners NetChoice, LLC, dba NetChoice, et al. filed. (Distributed)
2022-12-20
Response to petition from respondent Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas filed.
2022-12-20
Letter dated December 20, 2022, from counsel for respondent filed.
2022-12-15
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 18, 2023)
Attorneys
American Center for Law and Justice
American Jewish Committee
American Principles Project
Americans for Prosperity Foundation
Amicus Curiae International Center for Law & Economics
Angela Colmenero, in her Official Capacity as Provisional Attorney General of Texas
Article 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression
Babylon Bee and Not the Bee
Bluesky, a Public Benefit Corporation, M. Chris Riley, an individual, and Floor64, Inc. d/b/a the Copia Institute
Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence
Center for Democracy & Technology
Center for Growth and Opportunity, et al.
Center for Renewing America
Center for Social Media and Politics at New York University et al.
Chamber of Progress et al.
Children’s Health Defense
Developers Alliance and Software & Information Industry Association
Economists of Technology Policy Institute
Electronic Frontier Foundation, et al.
Electronic Privacy Information Center
First Amendment and Internet Law Scholars
Former Representative Christopher Cox and Senator Ron Wyden
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Internet Works, Glassdoor, LLC, Indeed, Inc., Nextdoor, Inc., Mozilla Corporation, Pinterest, Inc., Tripadvisor, LLC, Tumblr, Inc., Vimeo, Inc.
iTexasPolitics, LLC d/b/a The Texan and PowerHouse Management, Inc.
Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas
Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
Legal Scholars Adam Candeub & Adam MacLeod
Life Legal Defense Foundation
Marketplace Industry Association; Etsy, Inc.; OfferUp, Inc.; and eBay, Inc.
Media Law Resource Center, Inc.
Moderators of R/Law and R/Scotus
Moms for Liberty, Institute for Free Speech
National Security Experts
National Taxpayers Union Foundation
NetChoice, LLC, dba NetChoice, et al.
Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies
Professor Christopher S. Yoo
Professor Philip Hamburger
Professors Richard L. Hasen, Brendan Nyhan, and Amy Wilentz
Protect the First Foundation
Reason Foundation, Committee for Justice, Competitive Enterprise Institute,Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press et al.
States of Missouri, Ohio, Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, N. Dakota, Oklahoma, S. Carolina, S. Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, AZ Legislature
States of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘I, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the Distric
Students at Columbia Against Censorship
The Anti-Defamation League
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in Support of Neither Party
The Center for American Liberty
The Center for Business and Human Rights of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University
The Digital Progress Institute
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Trust & Safety Foundation
The United States Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján
Washington Legal Foundation