Minds, The Babylon Bee, and Tim Pool file lawsuit against California censorship law

Free-speech friendly platform Minds, satirical site The Babylon Bee, and podcaster Tim Pool have filed a First Amendment lawsuit against California’s bill AB 587, which is aimed at combating online “disinformation.” According to the lawsuit, AB 587 was “written with the express intent to discourage expression” of viewpoints that are protected by the constitution’s First Amendment. The suit further alleges that the bill does not pass the vagueness test under the Fourteenth Amendment because it does not make it clear what types of speech are not allowed. The plaintiffs noted the bill has broad categories that are not specifically defined, such as “racism,” “hate speech,” “radicalization,” “extremism,” “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “foreign political interference.” The lawsuit states: “AB 587’s proponents have repeatedly acknowledged that it would be unconstitutional for California to mandate censorship of the type of speech AB 587 regulates. However, this law, which is explicitly designed to chill constitutionally protected speech based on viewpoint, still violates the First Amendment. At the same time, AB 587 does not define terms such as ‘disinformation,’ ‘hate speech,’ and ‘extremism,’ creating an overbroad definition, leading to overly broad enforcement powers in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. “Plaintiffs in this action are an emerging social media network and two prominent social media users. AB 587 is a direct attack on Plaintiff Minds, Inc.’s business model, expansion plans, and ability to attract investment. Meanwhile, Plaintiffs Tim Pool and The Babylon Bee LLC have tens of millions of online followers. All three Plaintiffs have significant followings…Minds, The Babylon Bee, and Tim Pool file lawsuit against California censorship law