A federal judge has blocked the controversial Texas bill designed to stop social media platforms from blocking users over what they post.

The bill was introduced in Texas after former U.S. President Donald Trump was blocked by major social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. The bill called HB 20, was signed by Texas governor Greg Abbott in September and was billed to take effect from Dec. 2.

Republicans were counting on the bill to quell what they called “censorship.” But a federal judge blocked the bill on Wednesday, saying it violated the First Amendment.

Judge Robert Pitman ruled that the bill would violate social media companies’ First Amendment right to exercise editorial control over the content that appears on their platforms, according to a filing submitted to an Austin, Texas district court.

“HB 20 prohibits virtually all content moderation, the very tool that social media platforms employ to make their platforms safe, useful, and enjoyable for users,” the filing states.

The HB 20 was challenged by NetChoice and the CCIA, the two industry groups representing online platforms, whose members include Amazon, Google, Meta and Twitter.  The groups, who have challenged a similar bill in Florida earlier this year, said in a press statement that they have expected the ruling.

“Today’s outcome is not surprising. The First Amendment ensures that the Government can’t force a citizen or company to be associated with a viewpoint they disapprove of, and that applies with particular force when a State law would prevent companies from enforcing policies against Nazi propaganda, hate speech, and disinformation from foreign agents,” they said.

The CCIA has been advocating for free speech online for more than two decades, and has relied on the First Amendment to protect internet platforms.

“This ruling upholds the First Amendment and protects internet users. Without this temporary injunction, Texas’ social media law would make the internet a more dangerous place by tying the hands of companies protecting users from abuse, scams, or extremist propaganda,” the group said.

Challenged by the groups, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ attempt to enact a similar law was blocked by a federal judge in July, on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment.

The Wednesday ruling has dealt a huge blow to the right wing’s push to restore Trump’s social media presence. The former Republican President had relied on social media to communicate during his time in office. He was blocked by many social media platforms for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that resulted in the death of many people.

However, Republicans have largely seen the action of social media platforms as censorship targeting the conservatives. Abbott and DeSantis were heading the charge to protect conservative voices from social media moderation. When he signed HB 20 in September, Gov. Abbott said: “There is a dangerous movement by some social media companies to silence conservative ideas and values.”

The ruling means that Trump will remain without his megaphones for long. His earlier attempt to establish a social platform of his own, where he would communicate with his followers, failed. In October, Trump announced plan to develop another social media platform called Truth Social, in partnership with Digital World Acquisition Corp. – the Spac company.

But the November launch date that Trump Media & Technology Group set for Truth Social has elapsed, indicating another failure at attempt by the former President to set up his own social media. Trump’s plan to take another shot at the presidency in 2024, depends so much on getting back his social media megaphone. But it is faltering.

No man (or woman) has done any great thing because of money. But many have done great things because of #vision.

Money will not give you vision. It is vision that provides money. At the early phase of your company, spend more time to deepen your vision. Once you get it right, capital will flow.

But if you just focus on money without crystallizing your vision, investors will fail you. Why? Money has no light of itself; it is always seeking a source of light.

Just as the light from the lantern shows the way, money tracks vision which provides the path.

A young man just told me that he sent a repayment to his former company after reading this piece. According to him, he got a company loan in Lagos but quickly took the money as he relocated to the  UK. But after reading this piece which I wrote a few years ago, he had returned the money to the firm with interests. And that he wanted me to know that the piece influenced him.

I call our young  people that our decisions to be honest, decent and honourable must not be influenced by our environment. As Obama noted, we are the change that we seek. One of the things which I learned growing up in the Scripture Union was this: the next praise will be better because more songs will be delivered. What that means is this – there is abundance in the future and #honour will take us there.

“On the day of resignation, Diamond Bank paid tons of money into my account. Money everywhere with the computer screen showing useful digits. That was the annual upfront which was always the bulk of the salary. When I logged into the system and saw the money, I simply updated the resignation letter. I added an instruction that the bank should reverse the transaction as I was leaving the country, and would not be around to earn it. I dropped the letter. Most of my supervisors were genuinely impressed.

“Most people that resigned and traveled abroad usually clear-up. In minutes, I was off the building. My eyes turned red. I had to pay school fees in coming days in America and had not really developed a strategy than simply planning to meet the University President to award me scholarship.”

Show strength. Be Honourable

My First Day in America and Kindness of Diamond Bank Lagos

Before you promise your partner that you are going to marry him or her, I want you to know that failure to fulfill that promise of marriage carries huge legal consequences, it does not matter that you made that promise out of a joke or you were not serious when you made that promise, in as much as you have made the promise to marry a person you are under strict legal obligations and you must fulfill that promise of marriage, failure to do that will put you in the law harm’s way.

A promise to marry is seen in law as a contract which can either be oral, expressed or written and breach of a contract attracts consequences against the person who committed the breach and this is also applicable in the breach of the contract of promise to marry. Even if it is a love story gone wrong, it is first regarded as a contract in law and contracting parties must live up to the contractual terms.

Promise to marry is legally binding on both parties in as much as the parties meet up the legal criteria of making such a contract which is the ages of the parties is very crucial and there must also be consideration furnished  for it to be legally enforceable.

In the case of Mabamije V. Otto (2016) LPELR 26058 (SC) Mr. Otto promised to marry Ms. Mabamije but he didn’t fulfill the promise. Ms. Mabamije sued Mr. Otto for the beach of the promise, she claimed 20 million Naira as damages, she also prayed the court for an order to compel Mr. Otto to fulfill the promise of marrying her.

She  won the case at the high court but case went on to Supreme Court, although Ms. Mabamije lost the case at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court due to technicalities of the law of estoppel (which we may not go into details today) but the courts emphasized that promise to marry is a contract and parties must live up to the contract  terms and breach of that promise carries legal consequences.

Also, in the case of Miss Chinye A.M. Ezennah v. Alhaji Mahmoud I. Atta 3PLR (2004) 40 (SC) popularly quoted as Ezennah v. Atta, the Supreme Court per Niki Tobi Jsc stated inter alia “…. an agreement or contract to marry is a bilateral affair between a man and a woman, both parties must be ad idem in respect of any collateral transaction relating to the intended marriage and breach of that promise is enforceable against the person who breached”. 

Tekedia Mini-MBA alumni run many meetings and hangouts across African cities. Weekly, many are forming companies, executing strategic partnerships, and doing many great things. Our members in this year have unlocked close to N1 billion credit via Bank of Industry (BOI). I am not aware of any institution in Nigeria that prepares its members to unlock value at that level.

To our Port Harcourt alumni, I want to send my greetings as you formalize your chapter. I will connect LIVE via Zoom; thanks for the invitation.

Registration for the next edition of Tekedia Institute Mini-MBA has since opened. Register and join us

Contact Nnamdi Odumody if you have questions on the hangout. He will connect you with the chapter leaders.