How does House Bill 20 affect social media use?

You may have a large social media presence as part of your public platform. Recently, the Texas legislature issued a law regarding social media, and this law could have implications for the way you use this technology.

The Brookings Institution says that there has been some controversy surrounding Texas' new House Bill 20.  Organizations have taken legal action because they think that the bill violates First Amendment rights. HB 20 affects the way that people in Texas use social media. It prohibits companies from censoring their users on large social media platforms.

How does HB 20 affect people?

As a user of social media platforms, you may experience different impacts from the bill. Some of the impacts may be positive for you. Because the bill prohibits censorship, it may allow you greater freedom to express opinions in your posts. Additionally, you may not face backlash for the wording or expressions that you use.

However, there may also be a downside to HB 20. When you are prominent on social media, people may not always agree with the content that you share. They may write their posts which contain false information, and these posts may damage your reputation. In this situation, the bill may limit your ability to protect your reputation. Although you may want social media platforms to remove these posts, this course of action may not be possible.

What happens next?

Organizations have asked for an injunction about HB 20. This means that there will be a further examination into the bill to determine whether it violates First Amendment rights. The State of Texas has also filed an appeal, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will review the bill.

Bills like HB 20 could greatly affect the way that you use social media as part of your public platform. You may want to take steps to understand all of the options available to you