In a groundbreaking decision, the highest US court has agreed to hear Missouri v. Biden online censorship case introduced by the state of Louisiana and Missouri. Both states argued against the legality of the Biden administration’s call for censorship on social media platforms.
Although the court has allowed this case to be heard in their upcoming term, they have also chosen to lift an injunction placed by a lower court preventing the Federal government from collaborating with tech giants and censoring free speech.
This decision was taken against an injunction put forth by the Fifth Circuit Court “To prevent the continuation of this campaign, these officials were enjoined from either “coerc[ing]” social media companies to engage in such censorship or “active[ly] control[ling]” those companies’ decisions about the content posted on their platforms.”
This order had been issued back in July by Trump-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Terry A Doughty who condemned Biden Administration’s actions as “an almost dystopian scenario”. This ruling was later confirmed by a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, although it did limit certain federal offices affected by this ruling.
Here the Court points out that Joe Biden’s staff used the power of his Office to coerce media companies into censoring speech pic.twitter.com/KD5bHflI0y
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) September 9, 2023
Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neal Gorsuch dissented from SCOTUS‘ decision to allow Biden Administration’s actions and remove Judge Doughty’s injunction with Justice Alito writing that it failed to prove “irreparable harm” would be caused due to enforcement of this order.
Anderson Bailed, Missouri Attorney General pointed out how the government is engaging in “a broad pressure campaign designed to coerce social media companies into suppressing content disfavored by the government.” As per Justice Alito’s dissent, “the majority suspends the relief afforded below without a word of explanation.”
BREAKING: Supreme Court agrees to hear Missouri v. Biden, a signifiant free speech case involving the Biden administration's urging of media platforms to censor online speech. pic.twitter.com/qdfsBUCtPT
— Kaelan Deese (@KaelanDC) October 20, 2023
The case will be heard at SCOTUS’ next term which ends in June but until then restrictions put forth by Judge Doughty are lifted allowing White House under President Biden resume its collaboration with tech giants for censorship purposes.
