July 12, 2023
D.C. News | Tea Leaves
  • A federal judge in Louisiana ordered key Biden administration officials and agencies not to contact social media platforms to suppress speakers and viewpoints they disagree with, a major development that pits free-speech rights against government efforts to curb misinformation. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty granted a preliminary injunction barring a wide swath of officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Justice, the State Department, and the FBI from communicating with the companies. Under the injunction, Biden administration officials cannot email, call, send letters, text, or meet with social media companies “for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech posted on social-media platforms.” (Articles here and here)