What’s Happening:
For years, conservative Americans have accused social networks of censoring them online. Americans discovered, thanks to documents released by Elon Musk and others, that Democrats in the federal government were, in fact, coercing major social networks to suppress content that challenged the Biden administration.
The state of Missouri and five other plaintiffs sued the White House, claiming it violated the First Amendment. A federal court ruled against Biden in July, issuing an unprecedented ban on the White House meeting with tech companies. Biden’s DOJ appealed this decision, taking it to the 5th Circuit Court. This is how the federal court ruled on the issue.
From The Post Millennial:
On Friday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that the Biden Administration violated the First Amendment when it pressured social media platforms to remove posts about COVID-19 and the elections.
“It is true that the officials have an interest in engaging with social media companies, including on issues such as misinformation and election interference,” the decision read. “But the government is not permitted to advance these interests to the extent that it engages in viewpoint suppression.”
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld US District Judge Terry Doughty’s ruling against the Biden administration. The federal court ruled that Biden violated the First Amendment when it coerced social networks to remove posts critical of the administration.
Jude Doughty had accused the federal government of becoming an “Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth'” a nod to the government of 1984, which controlled all speech and thought. Louisiana AG accused the Biden administration of engaging in “viewpoint suppression.”
The decision by the higher court is particularly damning to the administration. The three-person panel ruled that top agencies used “intimidating messages and threats of adverse consequences” to force social media companies to remove content.
This is consistent with revelations that have been pouring out over the last year. Elon Musk spearheaded a series of reports that exposed the FBI and other federal agencies of using various methods to control content being posted to social networks. The agency gave networks millions of dollars to “fund” misinformation removal efforts.
When that didn’t appear enough, agencies resorted to threatening companies–perhaps with lawsuits and other charges–if they didn’t remove posts that contradicted Biden’s policy regarding COVID-19 and other issues. Often, these posts were from authoritative sources, who cited reliable studies and information.
The consequences of this ruling could be far-reaching. It is one of the first times in recent history that a court ruled against the federal government for violating the First Amendment. What, if any, damages will be required from the White House, has yet to be revealed.
Key Takeaways:
- The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Biden violated the First Amendment.
- Biden officials intimidated social networks to remove posts about COVID and the elections.
- This comes as numerous revelations exposed federal agencies’ efforts to control speech online.
Source: The Post Millennial
