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Why could a Texas law change how social media works in the state?

The law has the big tech companies concerned about repercussions.

HOUSTON — Why could a Texas law change how social media works in the state?

Texas residents can now sue companies like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for taking down a post or blocking and banning a user. The law was blocked in December but last week a federal appeals court ruled the law could take effect.

Now the tech companies are asking the Supreme Court to step in and once again block the law, saying it violates their free speech by forcing them to publish objectionable content.

Conservatives have pushed for the law, claiming the large social media companies have an anti-conservative bias.

Critics say the law opens up a possible wave of litigation against social media companies that could make it difficult for them to operate in the state.

Legal scholars also point out the law is vague, making it illegal to quote “de-boost” or deny equal visibility. They say the vagueness of those terms could lead to some creative lawsuits.

So what could this mean?

One option is for companies to stop using algorithms to filter or rank posts. While that doesn’t sound too bad, experts say that means users could be inundated with spam, porn, and hate speech.

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