Feds cannot communicate with social media companies; judge says

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that denies certain agencies and officials in the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies regarding specific content.

The Tuesday decision marks a victory for GOP states involved in a lawsuit that alleges the government overstepped its boundaries in combating COVID disinformation, CNN reported.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty’s injunction prohibits various federal agencies and over a dozen officials from requesting companies to remove “content containing protected free speech” from their platforms.

However, the ruling clarifies that the government can still engage with the social media platforms in relation to efforts aimed at curbing illegal activities and addressing threats to national security.

The government agencies mentioned in the injunction include the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Justice Department and the FBI.

It also cites specific officials including U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Under the ruling, they are restricted from “urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner for removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.”

The social media companies include “Facebook/Meta, Twitter, YouTube/Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat, TikTok.”

The decision comes in response to a lawsuit initiated by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana in 2022.

The suit accuses the Biden administration of effectively silencing conservatives via private social media companies.

While Judge Doughty has not yet made a ruling on the merits of the claims, his new order appears to signify an important victory for the two conservative states.

Previously, the judge asked the Biden administration to provide documents identifying government officials and details surrounding their communications with social media platforms.