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Federal judge blocks US officials’ communication with social media sites
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A federal judge has curtailed the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies about a range of online content.
This ruling carries potential First Amendment implications and marks a major development in the ongoing legal battle over the boundaries and limitations of online speech.
The order represents a victory for Republicans, who have often accused major social media sites of disproportionately removing right-leaning content, sometimes in collaboration with the government.
Read More: Federal judge to decide if US government coerced social media censorship
But Democrats argue these platforms have failed to adequately combat misinformation and hate speech, which has resulted in dangerous consequences, including incidents of violence.
Judge Terry A. Doughty of the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana granted a preliminary injunction.
Doughty stated government entities could not engage with social media companies to urge or induce the removal, suppression, or reduction of protected free speech content.
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The bodies include the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
However, the ruling clarified government agencies could still inform the platforms about posts involving crimes, national security threats, or foreign attempts to influence elections.
The judge said: "If the allegations made by plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States' history.
“The plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits in establishing that the government has used its power to silence the opposition.”
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The ruling, resulting from a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri, is expected to be appealed by the Biden administration.
However, it could restrict government officials, including law enforcement agencies, from notifying social media platforms about inappropriate content.
The Justice Department, on behalf of the White House, is reviewing the ruling and evaluating its next steps.
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