Court Rules White House, CDC Violated 1st Amendment by Pressuring Social Media Censorship

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Biden White House, CDC, and FBI likely violated the 1st Amendment by pressuring social media companies to censor posts about COVID-19 and elections.
The ruling limits the injunction's impact to just the White House, Surgeon General, CDC, and FBI. Other agencies like DHS and HHS were exempted.
The judges found the White House and CDC encouraged platforms to censor COVID-19 posts in 2021 to promote vaccinations.
The FBI's pre-2020 election communications with tech firms improperly targeted some posts from inside the U.S.
The ruling came in a lawsuit by Republican AGs alleging officials violated the 1st Amendment by encouraging censorship.

washingtonpost.com

Relevant topic timeline:

8/16/2023

Republicans scrutinize Biden White House’s emails with tech platforms

Main Topic: Internal corporate emails from social media companies reveal White House pressure to censor content, sparking concerns about First Amendment rights and government coercion. Key Points: 1. Internal emails from Meta and Twitter, obtained through a federal lawsuit and a congressional investigation, show White House officials requesting the removal of certain posts. 2. Republicans argue that these requests violate the First Amendment rights of tech platforms and their users. 3. Legal experts are divided on whether government pressure to censor content constitutes coercion and a violation of free speech rights. The Supreme Court may need to address this issue.

9/8/2023

Appeals Court Narrows Order Blocking Biden Officials from Urging Social Media Censorship

A federal appeals court has narrowed a judge's order blocking Biden administration officials from communicating with social media companies, reversing much of the controversial order which claimed that the administration engaged in unconstitutional censorship in its efforts to combat Covid-19 disinformation.

9/9/2023

Appeals Court Partially Lifts Injunction Barring Biden Officials from Urging Social Media to Remove False COVID and Election Claims

A federal appeals court has upheld an injunction restricting the Biden administration's communication with social media companies, claiming that the administration's efforts to flag false content about COVID-19 and elections likely violate the First Amendment.

9/8/2023

Court Limits Biden Admin's Ability to Urge Social Media Content Removal

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has ruled that the White House and other government agencies cannot coerce social media platforms to remove posts they dislike, but has narrowed the scope of a lower court's order limiting Biden administration communications with social media companies.

9/14/2023

Biden Seeks Supreme Court Pause on Ruling Limiting Ability to Fight Online Misinformation

The Biden administration has asked the Supreme Court to pause a lower court's ruling that restricts their efforts to pressure social media companies to remove or suppress posts, marking a significant legal battle over online speech and government collaboration with tech companies on combating misinformation.

9/22/2023

Alito Pauses Order Limiting Biden Officials' Ability to Pressure Social Media Companies on Content Removal

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has extended the temporary block on an order that restricts President Joe Biden's administration from encouraging social media companies to remove Covid-19 misinformation, allowing more time for the court to consider the administration's request to block the injunction.

10/3/2023

Court Rules CISA Violated 1st Amendment by Encouraging Social Media Censorship of Election Posts

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) likely violated the First Amendment by pressuring social media platforms to restrict election-related content, expanding an existing injunction and potentially setting up the case for the Supreme Court.

Topics

Posted 9/9/2023, 12:11:44 AM

Court Rules White House, CDC Violated 1st Amendment by Pressuring Social Media Censorship

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the Biden White House, CDC, and FBI likely violated the 1st Amendment by pressuring social media companies to censor posts about COVID-19 and elections.
The ruling limits the injunction's impact to just the White House, Surgeon General, CDC, and FBI. Other agencies like DHS and HHS were exempted.
The judges found the White House and CDC encouraged platforms to censor COVID-19 posts in 2021 to promote vaccinations.
The FBI's pre-2020 election communications with tech firms improperly targeted some posts from inside the U.S.
The ruling came in a lawsuit by Republican AGs alleging officials violated the 1st Amendment by encouraging censorship.

washingtonpost.com

Relevant topic timeline:

8/16/2023

Republicans scrutinize Biden White House’s emails with tech platforms

9/8/2023

Appeals Court Narrows Order Blocking Biden Officials from Urging Social Media Censorship

9/9/2023

Appeals Court Partially Lifts Injunction Barring Biden Officials from Urging Social Media to Remove False COVID and Election Claims

9/8/2023

Court Limits Biden Admin's Ability to Urge Social Media Content Removal

9/14/2023

Biden Seeks Supreme Court Pause on Ruling Limiting Ability to Fight Online Misinformation

9/22/2023

Alito Pauses Order Limiting Biden Officials' Ability to Pressure Social Media Companies on Content Removal

10/3/2023

Court Rules CISA Violated 1st Amendment by Encouraging Social Media Censorship of Election Posts