Social Media Speech Clash Has Supreme Court Fearing ‘Land Mines’

The US Supreme Court struggled to find a middle ground on the application of free-speech principles to the internet, as the justices reviewed Republican-backed laws that would sharply restrict the editorial discretion of the largest social media companies.

Hearing arguments for almost four hours Monday in Washington, members from across the court’s ideological spectrum suggested reluctance to completely strike down new laws in Texas and Florida, as trade groups representing Meta Platforms Inc.’s Facebook and Alphabet Inc.’s Google are seeking.

But a majority of justices also expressed concern about how the laws’ core provisions would apply to decisions ...