(l-r) Avi Benayoun, John L. McManus, and Samuel Bookhardt IV of Greenberg Traurig. Courtesy photos
Just before Florida’s new social media law that would prevent social media platforms from banning political candidates from their sites was scheduled to go into effect, a federal judge has blocked it.
On May 24, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Senate Bill 7072, which had been one of his priorities for the 2021 legislative session. A few days later, NetChoice LLC and Computer & Communications Industry, two trade associations acting on behalf of social media companies, filed suit challenging the new law. One day before the July 1 effective date for the new law, U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle of the Northern District of Florida entered an injunction that sided with the trade associations and blocked the law until the industry lawsuit is resolved.
