Federal court dismisses X Corp. lawsuit against New York hate speech law

A federal judge in Manhattan has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s X Corp., which sought to invalidate New York’s ‘Stop Hiding Hate Act.’ The law requires social media companies earning at least $100 million in annual revenue to disclose their policies and progress regarding the monitoring of hate speech, extremism, harassment, disinformation, and foreign political interference.

U.S. District Judge John Cronan rejected X’s argument that the mandate violated the First Amendment by potentially exposing the company to lawsuits and fines. The judge ruled that requiring businesses to provide ‘purely factual and uncontroversial information’ about their content moderation mechanisms is a reasonable disclosure requirement that allows consumers to make informed choices.

Because the case was dismissed with prejudice, X is prohibited from refiling the same claim. The law, signed in December 2024, carries civil penalties of up to $15,000 per violation per day for non-compliant platforms.