Republican governors become leading figures in states’ push for social media reform

At least two high-profile Republican governors and potential presidential hopefuls are at the forefront of an unfolding culture war aimed at social media companies.

As 2024 presidential optics continue to loom over the current political landscape, at least two high-profile Republican governors and potential presidential hopefuls are at the forefront of an unfolding culture war aimed at social media companies. The governors of two Republican strongholds, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, were at the center of the push for online policy reform this week, as each of their states grappled with the implementation of legislation dealing with platforms' content moderation. Both governors had been critical of social media platforms' decisions to suspend former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6 insurrection and allege broader censorship of conservative viewpoints online in their home states. In Texas, the waning days of the state's legislative session presented an imminent deadline for the passage of Senate Bill 12, which aimed to prohibit social media platforms from banning a user based on their viewpoint or their geographic location in the state. As defined by the bill, a "user" can be a Texas resident, someone who does business in the state or someone who more broadly shares or receives content in Texas. Late Tuesday, the bill failed after missing a critical deadline for advancement in the House. Despite requests from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the conservative Texas House Freedom Caucus for Abbott to convene a special session of the state legislature, the governor appeared to take a measured approach.