Supreme Court to Review Biden Admin's Authority Over Social Media Companies

The Supreme Court's involvement in a case concerning restrictions on contact between federal officials and social media companies.

Key points:

The Supreme Court is addressing a case that aims to limit communication between government officials and social media companies.
The outcome of the case could have significant implications for social media companies' policy-making and content moderation decisions.
The Supreme Court has also taken on two other cases related to free speech and social media, involving state laws in Texas and Florida.

engadget.com

Relevant topic timeline:

8/2/2023

Meta starts blocking the news in Canada — its latest standoff with publishers

The main topic is Meta's decision to block Canadian access to news links and stories on Facebook and Instagram in response to a new law that would require them to pay publishers for their content. Key points include the passing of the Online News Act in Canada, Meta's decision to end news availability in Canada, Google's plans to follow suit, the decline of the news industry and the controversy surrounding the new laws. The article also mentions Meta's previous financial contributions to the news industry and the potential impact of these laws on social media platforms in the future.

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.

9/9/2023

X Sues California Over Social Media Moderation Disclosure Law

Twitter, now called X, is suing California over a state law that requires social media companies to disclose their content policies, claiming it violates free speech and pressure them to remove objectionable content.

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.

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.

10/13/2023

Supreme Court Temporarily Allows Biden Administration to Encourage Social Media Companies to Remove Misinformation

The U.S. Supreme Court has maintained a block on restrictions imposed by lower courts on President Biden's administration's ability to encourage social media companies to remove misinformation, pending further review.

Topics

Posted 10/20/2023, 10:45:51 PM

Supreme Court to Review Biden Admin's Authority Over Social Media Companies

The Supreme Court's involvement in a case concerning restrictions on contact between federal officials and social media companies.

Key points:

The Supreme Court is addressing a case that aims to limit communication between government officials and social media companies.
The outcome of the case could have significant implications for social media companies' policy-making and content moderation decisions.
The Supreme Court has also taken on two other cases related to free speech and social media, involving state laws in Texas and Florida.

engadget.com

Relevant topic timeline:

8/2/2023

Meta starts blocking the news in Canada — its latest standoff with publishers

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