In a significant victory for the GOP, a federal judge in Louisiana has imposed restrictions on Biden administration officials, prohibiting them from communicating or engaging with social media platforms regarding content moderation on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana specifically barred agencies like the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services from flagging social media posts and accounts, except in cases involving national security threats or criminal activity.
The judge’s ruling was prompted by a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general from Louisiana and Missouri, who alleged that government officials, under the pretext of combatting misinformation, collaborated with social media platforms to suppress conservative voices and perspectives. The lawsuit encompassed posts related to the COVID pandemic and Hunter Biden’s laptop, which the plaintiffs claimed were wrongfully targeted. According to the attorneys general, these actions constituted “the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.”
The Justice Department has appealed the ruling, seeking to challenge its validity. Government officials maintain that their efforts to curb misinformation were aimed at reducing COVID-related deaths and addressing illegal activities like human trafficking and terrorism. They argue that they routinely notify social media companies about such activities, while emphasizing the platforms’ independent responsibility in presenting information.
Judge Doughty’s injunction acknowledges the evidence presented by Louisiana and Missouri, highlighting a concerted effort by the defendants, ranging from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content. However, a final ruling on the matter has yet to be issued. The injunction was initially reported by the Washington Post.
As of now, Facebook and Instagram owner Meta have declined to comment on the ruling, while Twitter’s response was an automated poop emoji. Google was unreachable for comment.Top of Form
