Lobby groups representing Facebook, Twitter, Google and other tech companies filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, seeking to block a Texas law that prohibits large social media platforms from banning users based on their political views.
The Texas law went into effect on Wednesday when the 5th U.S. 5th U.S. took effect. The Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state s request for a stay of a district judge's injunction blocking the law.
The law prevents social media companies with more than 50 million active users from being able to ban members based on their political views and require them to publicly disclose how they moderate content.
It was signed into law in September by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican.
Internet lobbying groups NetChoice and the Computer Communications Industry Association filed a lawsuit against the measure, and U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman in Austin, Texas issued a preliminary injunction in December.
Pitman had found that the law would hurt the free speech rights of social media companies under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The tech groups requested the Supreme Court to allow the District Court's careful reasoning to remain in effect while an orderly appellate process plays out.