A federal judge on Tuesday banned the Biden administration and senior government officials from talking with social media companies about a wide range of topics, issuing a preliminary injunction that could significantly limit efforts to combat online disinformation. .
The decision stems from an ongoing lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, who have accused the Biden administration of overstepping while working with social media giants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials have worked closely with tech companies in recent years to combat misinformation about vaccines and hesitancy on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, as well as issues around interference. elections, terrorism and sexual abuse of children.
The ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty, barred many government agencies from interviewing these companies for the “purpose of urging, encouraging, coercing, or ‘induce in any way the removal, deletion, deletion or reduction of content containing protected information’. freedom of speech.” The judge, appointed by former President Donald Trump, said he heard evidence of a “massive censorship campaign.”
“It is quite telling that each example or category of speech removed is conservative in nature. This targeted suppression of conservative ideas is a perfect example of perspective discrimination from political discourse,” the judge wrote in his ruling. “American citizens have the right to participate in free debate on important issues affecting the country.”
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, a time perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States government appears to have taken on a role similar to an Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth’,” he said. -he adds.
Doughty has yet to make a final decision in the case and the injunction may be appealed. The government is still allowed to communicate with tech platforms about crimes, national security threats, or foreign efforts to interfere in elections.
A White House official said the Justice Department is reviewing the injunction.
“This administration has promoted responsible actions to protect public health, safety, and security when faced with challenges like a deadly pandemic and foreign attacks on our elections,” the official said, according to The Washington Post. “Our consistent view remains that social media platforms have a primary responsibility to consider the effects their platforms have on the American people, but to make independent choices about the information they present.”
The order imposes limits on agencies across government, including the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Republicans have railed against social media companies for years, accusing these platforms of adopting policies that amount to censorship of conservative voices.