The Biden administration on Wednesday appealed a federal judge’s ruling that bars some agencies and officials from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing.
The notice of appeal filed Wednesday signals the government’s plan to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans to review the ruling in a lawsuit challenging the administration’s efforts Biden to persuade social media companies to monitor posts they deemed disinformation.
The lawsuit, filed by Republican attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri, alleged that U.S. government officials went too far in efforts to encourage social media companies to address posts they worried might contribute to doubt -se about the vaccine during the Covid-19 pandemic or reverse the elections.
The court order issued Tuesday prohibited government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the FBI from speaking with social media companies for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or otherwise inducing the removal, deletion, deletion or reduction. of content that contains protected freedom of expression” according to the freedom of expression clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Judge Terry Doughty, in an order filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, made some exceptions for communications between government officials and businesses, including to warn of national security risks and on criminal activity.
His order marked a victory for Republicans who sued the Biden administration, saying it was using the coronavirus health crisis and the threat of disinformation as an excuse to clamp down on views that disagreed with the government.
US officials have said they aimed to stamp out misinformation about Covid vaccines to curb preventable deaths.
