Judge Says Biden Admin Can't Push Social Media Platforms to Delete Content

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Biden administration officials can't communicate 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."

The Details: Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana also ruled that federal officials and agencies can't flag specific posts or inquire about platforms' efforts to monitor content. He specified that the government can still notify platforms about posts detailing "criminal activity, national security threats, extortion, or other threats."

For Context: The Biden administration has coordinated with social media companies to suppress what it deems misinformation, leading some to accuse it of censoring dissent. The administration has also funded the Global Disinformation Index, a ranking of the "worst offending websites" it rates as being at "high risk for disinformation."

Key Quotes: "If the allegations made by plaintiffs are true, the present case arguably involves the most massive attack against free speech in United States’ history," the judge said. 

How the Media Covered It: The New York Times (Lean Left bias) said the ruling "could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives about the coronavirus pandemic and other issues." Some right-rated outlets said the judge suggested that the Biden administration "likely violated the First Amendment" in efforts to moderate certain narratives, especially about COVID-19.