Twitter sues Texas AG to stop “retaliatory” content-moderation probe

reprisal — Texas targeted Twitter because of protected content moderation, suit claims. Kate Cox – Mar 10, 2021 10:20 pm UTC Twitter is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, alleging that a probe Paxton launched into its business is an act of retaliation against the platform’s choice to ban the account of former US President Donald Trump. The suit (PDF) accuses Paxton of using his office to “intimidate, harass, and target Twitter in retaliation for Twitter’s exercise of its First Amendment rights.” The conflict all goes back to the January 6 events at the US Capitol. At the height of the chaos, while a mob was actively storming the building, Trump took to Twitter to reiterate his false claims of electoral fraud and seemingly egg on the violence. In the following hours, Twitter deleted three tweets and suspended Trump’s account for 12 hours. Less than a day after that 12-hour suspension expired, Trump was back on the platform, again seeming to encourage the insurrectionists. Twitter interpreted the new posts as further calls to violence, which are against the platform’s terms of service, and permanently banned Trump’s account. Twitter was far from alone: Twitch, Snapchat, and Facebook (including Instagram) also all…
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