Elon Musk’s X sues New York to block social media hate speech law

Elon Musk, majority owner of the social media platform X, has long described himself as a free speech absolutist, yet he has also been criticised for censoring political voices he disagrees with [File: Alain Jocard/AFP]

Elon Musk’s X Corp has sued New York State Attorney General Letitia James, challenging a law in the US state that requires social media companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, and other content.

The complaint, filed on Tuesday in a Manhattan federal court, argues that the law forces companies to disclose “highly sensitive and controversial speech” that is protected under the United States Constitution’s First Amendment, but disfavoured by the state.