• Elon Musk's X Corp sues New York over a law requiring hate speech disclosure.
• The lawsuit claims the law violates the First Amendment protections of speech.
• New York's "Stop Hiding Hate Act" holds social media accountable for content moderation.
• The law mandates detailed reporting on hate speech definitions and moderation policies.
• Critics say the law is necessary to combat the rise of hate speech online.

Elon Musk’s X Corp has initiated a lawsuit against New York, contesting the constitutionality of the "Stop Hiding Hate Act," which mandates social media companies to disclose how they handle hate speech and other contentious content. The lawsuit argues that enforcing this law infringes upon free speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment, compelling companies to disclose "highly sensitive and controversial speech" that the state may find objectionable, according to Bloomberg, Channel News Asia, and Reuters.

The complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, posits that the mandatory disclosures required by New York law could subject X to substantial legal risks and penalties of up to $15,000 per violation per day. Additionally, Musk’s firm claims that the law mirrors a previously challenged California law, which a federal court partially blocked over similar free speech concerns, as reported by Al Jazeera and India Times.

Furthermore, the lawmakers behind the Stop Hiding Hate Act, Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblymember Grace Lee, assert that the law does not infringe on First Amendment rights. They emphasize the necessity of transparency for social media companies to combat the proliferation of harmful content. They publicly condemned Musk's actions, linking them to a larger pattern of neglect regarding the moderation of hate speech, according to HuffPost and BBC.

The Stop Hiding Hate Act was signed into law in December 2024 and requires detailed reporting on hate speech policies, including definitions and enforcement mechanisms. It aims to enhance accountability for social media platforms, especially in light of rising political violence linked to online hate speech, according to India Times and Channel News Asia.