A Trump-appointed judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana issued a preliminary injunction to block key Biden administration agencies and officials from coordinating with social media companies.
Judge Terry Doughty handed a win to GOP states who accused the Biden administration of going too far to combat Covid-19 misinformation.
The order applies to agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Justice Department and FBI as well as officials such as US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
CNN
The lawsuit addresses the perception of “censorship” and suppression of free speech by conservatives.
In his order, the judge made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn them of national security threats, criminal activity or voter suppression.
According to a White House spokesperson, the Justice Department “is reviewing the court’s injunction and will evaluate its options in this case.”