Second Circuit Is Slated To Hear Oral Arguments In Rumble Case Against New York
Jose Nino
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On February 16, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held a hearing where concerns raised by Eugene Volokh, a well-known pro-First Amendment academic and legal blogger, about cases concerning social media platforms such as Rumble and Locals were addressed.
These parties teamed up with a pro-free speech organization,the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), to challenge a controversial free speech law implemented by the New York state government.
This law was first enacted in December 2022. At the heart of this controversial law was a mandate compelling websites to actively address speech deemed “humiliating” or “vilifying” toward any group predicated on their color, race, religion, or other protected characteristics.
The lawsuit was kicked off by Volokh, Rumble, and Locals. The lawsuit contended that this mandate violates constitutional rights.
On a previous occasion, a judge agreed with this take, ruling that the law is likely unconstitutional. Following this, FIRE obtained an injunction against the law’s enforcement, which spurred the New York government to file an appeal.
Eugene Volokh believes that the Second Circuit will agree with the District Court’s decision, showcasing the absence of a ‘hate speech’ exception that lies in the First Amendment. “The District Court correctly held that the New York law unconstitutionally targeted certain viewpoints, since there’s no ‘hate speech’ exception to the First Amendment,” Volokh declared.
Rumble’s Chairman and CEO, Chris Pavlovski, sharply criticized the law, stressing Rumble’s commitment to defending free speech.
Pavlovski said the following, “New York’s law commands social media platforms to crack down on a variety of forms of protected speech, and fighting to defend that speech is the very reason Rumble exists. We cannot let activist governments continue to chip away at the freedom of expression, which is one of the most basic of all human rights. We are grateful to our partners in this fight, Locals, Eugene Volokh, and FIRE, for helping to carry the torch of freedom with us.”
The Empire State is one of the most anti-freedom states in the nation. It’s a one-party state that is committed to destroying freedom, consequences be damned.
Rumble is one of the last hopes for freedom-minded individuals to have a platform to put out dissident content. For that reason, anti-freedom states like New York will labor hard to destroy it.
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