Missouri attorney general announces rule to let social media users choose their own moderators

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) announced that he filed a rule requiring social media platforms to let users choose their own content moderators.

The rule, announced Tuesday, states that it is an unfair, deceptive, or otherwise unlawful practice for social media platforms to prevent users from being able to choose an independent content moderator, according to the attorney general's office. Social media platforms must, both upon activating an account and on a regular basis afterward, provide a choice screen, as well as not favor their own moderation tools, and allow full interoperability for outside moderators chosen by users.

Social media companies are also prevented from placing unreasonable access restrictions on third-party content moderators and the rule includes carefully tailored exceptions to prevent child exploitation and unlawful threats.

“Big Tech oligarchs have manipulated the content Missourians see online and silenced voices they don’t like. That ends now,” Bailey said in a statement on Tuesday. “With this rule, Missouri becomes the first state in America to take real, enforceable action against corporate censorship. I’m using every tool to ensure Missourians—not Silicon Valley—control what they see on social media.”