Twitter sues Texas AG, alleging retaliation for banning Trump

Twitter is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R), seeking to block his office from allegedly retaliating against the company for its decision to ban former President Trump from the platform.

The suit filed in northern California accuses Paxton of using the powers of his elected office to retaliate against the company over what it called a protected decision under the First Amendment.

“A core part of Twitter’s mission is to protect freedom of expression and defend an Open Internet. We work every day to protect those interests for the people who use our service around the world. The First Amendment protects everyone’s right to free speech, including private businesses,” a Twitter spokesperson told The Hill.

“In this case, the Texas Attorney General is misusing the powers of his office to infringe on Twitter’s First Amendment rights and attempt to silence free speech. As we’ve repeatedly stated, and recent research underscores, we enforce the Twitter Rules judiciously and impartially across our service,” they added.