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Meta extending its fight over Washington disclosure law | The Free Press Initiative

Meta asked the U.S. Supreme Court for more time to appeal a June ruling on Washington's political spending disclosure law; Justice Elena Kagan granted the request on September 3, giving the company until November 15 to file.
Washington requires disclosure of political ad spending under a 1972 law, but Meta argues these rules are unduly burdensome and infringe on free speech rights; the company previously stopped selling political ads in the state rather than comply.
Upholding a $35 million penalty in June, the Washington Supreme Court cited Meta's repeated and willful violations of the disclosure law; smaller media companies have handled these obligations for decades without complaint.
Fresh off a $17 billion payout to settle teen harm claims, the $1.6 trillion company now seeks to override the state law; critics argue the firm has money to burn on lawyers despite claiming it cannot afford record-keeping.
Experts compare this strategy to Meta's choice in Canada to block news access rather than pay publishers; given its refusal to follow standard disclosure rules, some observers suggest the firm acts as an "antisocial" media company.

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