Judge blocks Biden officials from colluding with Big Tech in censorship case.

A Federal Judge Blocks Contact Between Biden Administration and Social Media Companies

A federal judge, Terry A. Doughty, appointed by former President Trump, has issued a preliminary injunction that prohibits contact between Biden administration officials and social media companies. The judge’s ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Missouri and Louisiana, who claim that government officials and social media companies have been collaborating to censor speech based on its content.

“The Court has granted our motion to BLOCK top officials in the federal government from violating the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans,” tweeted Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. “What a way to celebrate Independence Day.”

The lawsuit primarily focuses on actions taken during the pandemic to address social media posts related to COVID-19 policy. The attorneys general argue that the Biden administration has created a federal “Censorship Enterprise,” urging Big Tech companies to remove speech they disapprove of. They describe this as “the most egregious violations of the First Amendment in the history of the United States of America.”

While the judge has not yet made a final ruling, he acknowledged that the plaintiffs have presented evidence of a “massive effort” by the White House and federal agencies to suppress speech based on its content. However, the judge has allowed for exceptions to the communication block, such as national security threats and criminal activity.

The collaboration between the government and Big Tech during the pandemic has been a subject of controversy for several years. In a notable exchange, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated in July 2021 that the administration was “flagging problematic posts for Facebook,” leading to questions about the extent of government surveillance on people’s profiles.

Missouri Attorney General Bailey emphasized that the injunction prohibits various federal government entities, including the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Homeland Security, from colluding with social media companies and prevents key officials from participating.

It is worth noting that the Department of Homeland Security previously faced criticism for introducing a disinformation governance board, which was subsequently shut down.

“The federal government cannot be trusted to protect Americans’ rights, which is precisely why our Founders enshrined the First Amendment into the Constitution,” tweeted Attorney General Bailey.

The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House for comment.

Let Independence Day Mean Independent Thought, Not Groupthink

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