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Comment by pjc50 | Hacker News Reader

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This is significantly different than the Texas abortion law. That law allowed anyone in Texas to sue if they were aware of an abortion, essentially deputizing the entire populace as bounty hunters.

If this law only allows those who actually can argue that they suffered damages (i.e. minors or their parents) to sue, than it's not really much different than other civil tort laws.

No, it's not a hack against the 1st amendment. Any private party action is constrained by the 1ST amendment. It's a well resolved question. The unanswered question is what the limits are to out of state state power? It's a billion dollar question.

Private lawsuits can seek relief that otherwise would be beyond the state's power under the 1st Amendment. For example, speech itself can be penalized by a court if it violates a non-disclosure agreement.

Cool, I'm sick and tired of Christians forcing their beliefs on me. I'm sure that if a law were passed allowing me to take private action and sue people for being Christian that would be fine since it's not the government taking action on religion?

Not really. It's an artifact of contract law. Could you give an example that is not a byproduct of a contractual provision?

It's also how Alex Jones was punished for his Sandy Hook conspiracy theories.

Sort of.

The distinct difference being that he targeted those families with his comments to begin with by saying they were actors, etc.

Libel law has a much longer legal history.

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