Moons, Fire and Pigs: Emojis can be confusing in court

Sometimes an eggplant is just an eggplant, but in the emoji world, it’s usually not. But is sending someone an eggplant emoji or a winky face proof of sexual harassment? When does a gun emoji mean someone is threatening another person with death? Does a thumbs-up emoji mean acceptance of a contract? These are all questions presented in courtrooms across the country and the world.

Jul 2, 2024 3:06 PM CDT

States can’t regulate social media platforms to achieve ‘speech nirvana,’ Supreme Court says

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday favored the First Amendment rights of social media companies to moderate content in a decision that sent two cases back to lower courts for more analysis.

Jul 1, 2024 10:25 AM CDT

5th Circuit ‘glossed over complexities,’ Supreme Court says in refusing to curb US social media contacts

Two states and five social media users don’t have standing to sue U.S. officials for allegedly pressuring social media companies to curb protected speech, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Jun 26, 2024 9:49 AM CDT

Woman who says she inspired ‘Baby Reindeer’ is suing Netflix for $170M

A woman who says she was identified online as the basis for the character of a stalker in the popular Netflix series Baby Reindeer is suing the streamer and the show’s creator. She is seeking $170 million over a portrayal she says was inaccurate and distressing.

Jun 7, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

10 Questions: Entertainment lawyer and documentarian knows where the good bars are

As Sheppard Mullin’s LA-based head of global media, Robert Darwell makes deals for huge companies and he’s helped make hundreds of movies possible, including Brokeback Mountain and Selma. He’s also recognized for his work as a documentary filmmaker.

Jun 1, 2024 1:20 AM CDT

Woodchipper and bomb threats on social media allegedly traced to Chicago-area prosecutor

A Wheaton, Illinois, man is facing charges for allegedly posting threats on social media made while he was an assistant state’s attorney in DuPage County, Illinois, outside Chicago.

May 29, 2024 2:38 PM CDT

Family members sue networks after learning of loved ones’ deaths by seeing bodies on TV

Family members of a California couple who died in the 2022 McKinney wildfire have sued two television networks for broadcasting images of their loved ones’ bodies.

May 23, 2024 12:30 PM CDT

TikTok and the U.S. government dig in for legal war

A defiant TikTok is preparing to fight for its life in court after President Biden signed a law calling for its forced sale or ban in the United States, a legal battle that could reshape American speech freedoms in the internet age.

Apr 25, 2024 1:00 PM CDT

Smartmatic and OANN settle lawsuit over 2020 election coverage

The voting technology company Smartmatic agreed Tuesday to settle its lawsuit against the conservative cable television network One America News over its coverage of the 2020 election.

Apr 16, 2024 3:00 PM CDT

Supreme Court likely to reject limits on White House social media contacts

The Supreme Court seemed prepared Monday to reject a Republican-led effort to sharply limit the federal government from pressuring social media companies to remove harmful posts and misinformation from their platforms.

Mar 19, 2024 9:45 AM CDT

Justices skeptical of Texas, Florida laws that bar platforms from deleting content

A majority of the Supreme Court seemed broadly skeptical Monday that state governments have the power to set rules for how social media platforms curate content, with both liberal and conservative justices inclined to stop Texas and Florida from immediately implementing laws that ban the removal of certain controversial posts or political content.

Feb 27, 2024 8:50 AM CST

Supreme Court’s internet inexpertise will be put to the test in social media content cases

A pair of cases, NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice, ask whether states may dictate content-moderation standards or require individualized explanations when social media outlets remove or alter users’ posts.

Feb 22, 2024 1:55 PM CST

Meet the Delaware judge who keeps foiling Elon Musk

Few people in the world have the power to order around Elon Musk. One of them is a soft-spoken, small-town-raised, 44-year-old Delaware judge named Kathaleen McCormick.

Feb 21, 2024 8:35 AM CST

Chemerinsky: Supreme Court will hear some of its biggest cases of the term this month

Some of the most important cases of the term will be argued this month before the U.S. Supreme Court. On Feb. 8, the justices will return to the bench earlier than planned to hear Trump v. Anderson, which considers whether former President Donald Trump is disqualified from again being president because of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. On Feb. 26, the court will hear two cases that could have a profound effect on the internet and social media, Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton.

Feb 1, 2024 8:51 AM CST

Chemerinsky: Expect another momentous year at the Supreme Court

I do not recall ever facing a new year with such a sense of trepidation and even fear of what to expect. The presidential election campaign of 2024 promises to be unlike any we have seen in American history, and it seems inevitable that the U.S. Supreme Court will play a large role. And the docket for the current term is filled with major issues about controversial matters, such as abortion, administrative law, gun rights and the First Amendment and social media.

Jan 4, 2024 10:49 AM CST