A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction ordering President Joe Biden’s administration not to collaborate with or pressure social media companies to censor speech, except in limited circumstances, while a lawsuit progresses. The ruling came in response to entities, including Louisiana and Missouri, that sued Biden’s team for allegedly colluding with social media companies to suppress speech related to the 2020 elections, Hunter Biden’s laptop, and COVID-19.
The judge stated that the case could potentially be the most massive attack on free speech in US history, highlighting the alleged disregard for the First Amendment’s right to free speech. The injunction applies to Biden, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and other high-ranking officials. The judge concluded that the government had used its power to silence opposition and engage in viewpoint discrimination of conservative political speech.
The lawsuit is part of an ongoing effort to expose and prevent federal officials from using their authority to suppress conservative speech. Previous evidence presented in the case revealed close ties between government officials and social media companies, with regular meetings to discuss content censorship. In response to the ruling, a Biden administration official emphasized that social media platforms should independently make choices about the information they present, taking into account their impact on the American people. The lawsuit aims to shed light on the relationship between government and social media platforms and defend free speech rights.