In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s stay of a temporary injunction in NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton, a closely watched case involving a novel Texas law purporting to bar “social media platforms” from engaging in “viewpoint” discrimination. The majority did not issue a
SCOTUS: Private Entities Operating Forums for Speech Are Not State Actors
Against the background of lawsuits and debate about the role of communications service providers in moderating speech on their platforms, the U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in, affirming that private entities that host forums for speech are not state actors subject to constitutional requirements.
The Decision
In a 5-4 decision by Justice Kavanaugh, the Court held in Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck, 587 U.S. __ (2019) that a private, nonprofit corporation operating a public-access TV channel is not a state actor subject to the First Amendment. Producers of public access programming had claimed the channel was a state actor that violated their First Amendment rights after it suspended them from its services due to their films’ content. The Court disagreed.
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Bad Review Online? California Court Says Pursue the Poster not the Platform
You see it and your heart sinks: a one-star review with negative feedback for your business on an online review site. You think it’s unlawful and want it taken down.
What do you do?
The California Supreme Court recently considered a case showing what not to do. In Hassell v. Bird, Ava Bird left
Is SCOTUS Going to Tackle Cy Pres Awards in Class Action Settlements?
Cy pres remedies … are a growing feature of class action settlements. … In a suitable case, this Court may need to clarify the limits of the use of such remedies.” Marek v. Lane, 134 S. Ct. 8, 9 (2013) (Roberts, C.J., respecting denial of certiorari).
In Marek, the U.S. Supreme Court denied cert in a case questioning the propriety of a cy pres award in a class action settlement. But Chief Justice Roberts suggested he might nevertheless be on the lookout for “an opportunity to address the more fundamental concerns surrounding the use of such [cy pres] remedies in class action litigation, including when, if ever, such relief should be considered; how to assess its fairness as a general matter; … what the respective roles of the judge and parties are in shaping a cy pres remedy; how closely the goals of any enlisted organization must correspond to the interests of the class; and so on.” Id.
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