Elon Musk moves all X lawsuits to Texas court: WaPo reports

Elon Musk has mandated that all lawsuits against his social media platform, X, be filed in the Northern District of Texas, a move experts call “forum shopping” to secure favourable rulings, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

Companies typically choose courts linked to their headquarters—like Meta using California courts for Instagram. However, under X’s new terms of service, effective 15 November, legal matters will be heard in a district known for Republican-appointed judges.

Experts see this as a strategic move to shield X from increasing criticism, particularly over election misinformation and claims of conservative bias.

Musk also highlighted a 15.5% increase in new user sign-ups on X, with an estimated 43% surge in sign-ups during the US election vote count. Musk’s political ties, including his support for Donald Trump, further underscore his legal strategy, with a Trump victory potentially reducing regulatory pressure on X.

Despite this, state attorneys general and other parties may still pursue legal action. The Northern District of Texas has become a hotspot for conservative legal challenges on issues such as immigration and gun control, though its judges have limited experience with tech industry lawsuits, according to Cornell’s G.S. Hans.