Published May 6, 2021 •
Updated on May 6, 2021 at 3:15 pm
NBC 5 News
Nine Twitter users who sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for blocking them on the social media platform have regained access to the Republican s posts, their attorneys said Thursday.
The users blocked by Paxton included college students, a journalist, a U.S. Army veteran and the leader of a progressive political group. All said in a lawsuit filed last month that Paxton denied them access to his tweets after they criticized his policies.
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AG Paxton unblocks 9 Texans on Twitter after lawsuit claims he violated first amendment rights
Published
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has unblocked on Twitter the nine Texans who sued him after they say they were unconstitutionally blocked for criticizing him or his policies on the social media platform.
In a lawsuit filed in April, a group of Texans said being blocked from viewing Paxton’s tweets from his @KenPaxtonTX account was a violation of the First Amendment because it limited the rights of people to participate in a public forum and access statements made by the public official.
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Facebook s independent oversight board has upheld a ban on former US president Donald Trump while ordering further review of the case, in a decision with a potentially far-reaching impact on the regulation of online speech.
Mr Trump, whose political influence has arguably been severely curtailed by the loss of his social media presence, responded with a statement slamming bans by the leading social network and other online giants as a total disgrace.
The oversight board, whose decisions are binding on Facebook, said Mr Trump had created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible with his comments regarding the 6 January rampage by his supporters at the US Capitol.
Facebook Oversight Board Affirms Trump Ban For Now By Rob Lever
05/05/21 AT 2:54 PM
Facebook s independent oversight board on Wednesday upheld a ban on former US president Donald Trump while ordering further review of the case, in a decision with a potentially far-reaching impact on the regulation of online speech.
Trump, whose political influence has arguably been severely curtailed by the loss of his social media presence, responded with a statement slamming bans by the leading social network and other online giants as a total disgrace.
The oversight board, whose decisions are binding on Facebook, said Trump had created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible with his comments regarding the January 6 rampage by his supporters at the US Capitol.
May 5, 2021
By Will Oremus
Mr. Oremus is a journalist who writes about the intersections of online platforms, media and politics.
Facebookâs Oversight Board on Wednesday upheld the social networkâs temporary suspension of Donald Trump but declined to decide when, or whether, that ban should be lifted. The decision dashed the former presidentâs hopes for a swift reinstatement by a body charged with reviewing the platformâs content moderation practices. But it also sent a message that the scope of the boardâs power is limited and that the ultimate responsibility for these questions still lies with Mark Zuckerberg and company.