Judge Tosses Musk's Suit Over NY Hate-Speech Law

A federal judge threw out Elon Musk's lawsuit against New York's social media disclosure law on Wednesday, ruling that "the First Amendment poses no obstacle" to the state forcing platforms to reveal how they handle hate speech.

U.S. District Judge John Cronan, an appointee of President Donald Trump, dismissed X Corp.'s case entirely — with no chance to amend the complaint.

The law, signed in December 2024 by Governor Kathy Hochul, requires social media companies with at least $100 million in annual revenue to disclose how they eliminate hate on their platforms.

What the Law Requires

Covered platforms must file semiannual reports on hate speech, extremism and disinformation, and on the moderation policies they use against them.

The maximum civil penalty for noncompliance is $15,000 per violation, per day.

The Ruling

X leaned on a Ninth Circuit decision that struck down a similar California law. Cronan drew a line between the two: New York, he found, requires only factual disclosure of policies that already exist, not an explanation of the reasoning behind them.

He also rejected X's claim that Section 230 — the federal shield for online platforms — preempts the state requirement.