A federal judge is prohibiting the Biden administration from contacting social media companies to encourage them to remove, delete, or suppress content containing protected free speech.
Attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri sued the Biden administration in 2022, alleging the government overstepped when it convinced social media companies to address posts that could result in vaccine hesitancy.
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty granted the injunction Tuesday, writing that the “evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth.’”
The ruling prohibits several Biden administration officials and federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and FBI, from “encouraging, pressuring, or inducing” social media companies to remove content containing protected free speech.
The White House said their actions were meant to promote responsible actions and protect public health during the pandemic. In a court filing, the administration said the injunction would limit their ability to combat misinformation and foreign influence campaigns.
A White House official says the Justice Department is reviewing the injunction and will evaluate its options.
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