Trial set in dispute over Florida's social media law – Sun Sentinel

A federal judge on Wednesday scheduled a trial next year over a 2021 Florida state law that imposes restrictions on social media platforms.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued an order scheduling the trial for a two-week period beginning June 16. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday remanded the case to Hinkle, who issued a preliminary injunction in 2021 blocking the law by citing the First Amendment.

The Atlanta appeals court upheld most of Hinkle's rulings in 2022. But on July 1, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling and said the case needed further review.

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled House passed the bill after Facebook and Twitter – now known as X – banned former President Donald Trump from their platforms following the storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021.

For example, the law prohibited platforms from banning political candidates from their websites and required companies to publish and consistently apply standards on issues such as banning users or blocking their content.

The law applies to social media platforms with annual gross revenues of over $100 million or more than 100 million monthly active users. Companies that violate the restrictions face severe penalties.

The industry associations NetChoice and Computer & Communications Industry Association questioned the constitutionality of the law.

The Supreme Court did not resolve the constitutional issues in its July ruling, but said the 11th Circuit and another appeals court in a similar Texas case did not adequately consider the “superficial nature” of the objections to the laws, a crucial element in determining whether the laws are constitutional.