In March, the US Supreme Court heard arguments from representatives from Missouri, Louisiana, and several healthcare professionals and individuals (“Free Speech Plaintiffs”), who were challenging the Biden Administration and various government agencies.
The case originated when Missouri and Louisiana, along with several others, alleged that the Biden Administration and numerous federal agencies were collaborating with social media companies, like Facebook and Twitter, to censor the speech of millions of American citizens during crucial events such as the COVID pandemic and the 2020 Presidential Election.
Evidence presented in the case revealed instances where federal officials pressured Big Tech to censor certain content, including a situation where Facebook took down a story related to Hunter Biden’s laptop after pressure from the FBI.
This collaboration between government entities and tech companies raised concerns about free speech rights being violated.
The plaintiffs initially sought a preliminary injunction and successfully obtained evidence supporting their claim.
A federal judge granted their motion for an injunction on July 4, 2023.
The government appealed this decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals but was met with agreement from the court.
The case has now reached the Supreme Court, which will determine in June whether the government has the authority to censor speech in America.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that government agencies are continuing to engage with tech giants to remove content they consider misinformation or disinformation.
This is taking place before the 2024 election.
The left-leaning NextGov reported:
Key federal agencies have resumed discussions with social media companies over removing disinformation on their sites as the November presidential election nears, a stark reversal after the Biden administration for months froze communications with social platforms amid a pending First Amendment case in the Supreme Court, a top senator said Monday.
Mark Warner, D-Va., who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters in a briefing at RSA Conference that agencies restarted talks with social media companies as the Supreme Court heard arguments in Murthy v. Missouri, a case that first began in the Fifth Circuit appellate court last July. The case was fueled by allegations that federal agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were coercing platforms to remove content related to vaccine safety and 2020 presidential election results.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether agencies are allowed to stay in touch with social media firms about potential disinformation. Missouri’s then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed the suit on the grounds that the Biden administration violated First Amendment rights pertaining to free speech online in a bid to suppress politically conservative voices.
According to Warner, communications between agencies and social platforms resumed roughly around the same time that multiple justices appeared to favor the executive branch’s stance on the issue, he said.
