The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) filed a brief today advocating for the approval of its complaint and motion for a preliminary injunction against Texas HB18. The initial filing occurred on July 30. CCIA, along with co-Plaintiff NetChoice, argues that Texas's latest legislative effort to regulate online speech by implementing age restrictions violates the First Amendment. The law is scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2024, unless a judge grants the requested preliminary injunction.

Stephanie Joyce, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at CCIA, stated: “We have demonstrated to the court that Texas HB18 infringes protected speech, and the State has failed to justify the statute’s invasive and onerous blocking and age-gating restrictions. In keeping with the Supreme Court’s recent holding that Texas’s previous attempt to regulate speech likely violates the First Amendment, HB18 should be barred from becoming effective. Such attempts to dictate what users can access online are antithetical to a free society.”