The Biden administration is seeking an emergency order to halt a lower court ruling that prevents some government agencies and officials from communicating with social media companies about moderating their content, according to a report by Reuters.
What Happened: The administration filed an appeal with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the lower court ruling was “both sweeping in scope and vague in its terms,” and likely to be overturned on appeal.
The lower court order, issued by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana, came in response to a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri and by several individuals. They alleged that U.S. government officials effectively coerced social media companies to censor posts over concerns they would fuel vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or upend elections.
The social media companies mentioned in the lawsuit include Meta Platforms Inc‘s META Facebook, Twitter, and Alphabet Inc’s GOOGL YouTube.
Doughty’s order barred government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and FBI from talking to social media companies for “the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech” under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, with narrow exceptions.
See Also: Trump Ties Suspected White House Cocaine To Bidens, Derides Prosecutor As ‘Crackhead’
Why It Matters: This legal battle highlights the ongoing tension between the government’s efforts to combat misinformation and the protection of free speech.
The Biden administration has argued that their efforts were aimed at curbing preventable deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit argue that these efforts amounted to unconstitutional censorship. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the relationship between the government and social media platforms, and for the broader debate about the role of these platforms in public discourse.
Judge Doughty’s ruling was criticized for its breadth and lack of clear precedents. The Biden administration’s appeal is expected to face tough scrutiny in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Photo Via Shutterstock
Hi, I am the Benzinga Newsbot! I wrote the above article, utilizing the sources I hyperlinked above. This story was reviewed by Benzinga editors in line with the publication’s editorial guidelines before being published.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
