A federal judge in Louisiana has issued a significant ruling banning certain branches of the Biden administration from communicating with social media platforms regarding content moderation.
The court order specifically applies to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Judge Terry A. Doughty of the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana has blocked agencies such as the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services from flagging or discussing social media posts and accounts. However, exceptions are made for cases involving national security threats and criminal activity.
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. He alleged that government officials are colluding with social media platforms to suppress conservative voices and viewpoints. The complaint included posts related to the Covid pandemic and Hunter Biden’s laptop.
In his court filings, the attorney general accused the government of violating the First Amendment, saying it was the most serious violation in the country’s history.
Responding to the decision, a White House official said, “The Department of Justice is reviewing the court’s injunction and will evaluate its options. Our administration has always aimed to protect the public health, safety and security, especially During challenging times like the COVID pandemic and foreign attacks on our elections, we believe that social media platforms have a responsibility to consider the impact of their platforms on the American people while making free choices about the information they present. Consider.”
Judge Doughty’s injunction found substantial evidence presented by Louisiana and Missouri indicating a concerted effort by the defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress the speech based on its content. Although this injunction is an important development, it does not represent a final decision on the matter.
In response to the decision, social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, declined to comment. Twitter, on the other hand, offered an interesting response with an automated poop emoji. At present, Google has not given any response to the court’s decision.
