Justice Clarence Thomas is going after social media.
Thomas — who has become a beacon for conservative hope among the other justices in the court — has conservatives cheering with his latest move.
Simply put, he’s declaring that it’s time to hold big tech accountable for violating the First Amendment.
Reports say that Thomas is suggesting that social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook don’t have the First Amendment right to ban protected speech.
BREAKING: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas finds social media companies do not have First Amendment right to ban protected speech and that Section 230 is unconstitutional
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) April 5, 2021
And it’s no big secret that former President Donald Trump may be the most known figure effected by this big tech censorship. Thomas’ 12-page opinion came after the SCOTUS rejected to review an appeals case involving Trump, which ruled that he violated the First Amendment by blocking Twitter users he disagreed with.
In other words, by refusing to review the appeals case, SCOTUS set the precedent that Trump violated free speech, but continues to allow Twitter to mute Trump…
Thomas then sounded off, writing that it’s only a matter of time before Congress will have to address the issue.
“Today’s digital platforms provide avenues for historically unprecedented amounts of speech, including speech by government actors. Also unprecedented, however, is control of so much speech in the hands of a few private parties,” Thomas wrote. “We will soon have no choice but to address how our legal doctrines apply to highly concentrated, privately owned information infrastructure such as digital platforms.”
Many critics see his blistering take as a challenge to Congress to brand social media apps as “common carriers,” which would mean that social media platforms would have to allow any and all views on its service, no matter what.
As of now, social media giants set the rules as they go.
Thomas’ words are just a microcosm of larger Republican talking points often heard in the Senate and House.
Heck, even Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. is uncomfortable with big tech’s stranglehold over free speech.
The Horn editorial team