NEW YORK, 4 November (H.S.): The state of New York on Monday(November 3, 2025), requested the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's social media company, X, which seeks to invalidate a state law concerning the moderation of hate speech.New York's Attorney General, Letitia James, argued in a court filing that the Stop Hiding Hate Act is a consumer protection measure that requires social media platforms to be transparent about how they handle content such as hate speech, extremism, and disinformation.

James asserted that the law helps users make informed decisions without unconstitutionally infringing on the company's free speech rights or its ability to moderate content.

X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, filed the lawsuit arguing that the New York law unconstitutionally compels it to publicize its policies on highly sensitive and controversial speech, potentially exposing it to significant fines. The company pointed to a similar law in California that was partially blocked on free speech grounds.

The New York law, signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in December 2024, mandates that social media companies with annual revenues of at least $100 million must disclose their content moderation policies and can face daily fines of up to $15,000 for each violation.

Since acquiring Twitter in 2022, Musk, who describes himself as a free speech absolutist, has significantly altered the platform's content moderation strategies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar