Biden Administration Appeals Decision On Restrictions On Communication With Social Media

President Joe Biden appealed against the US court's decision. (photo: twitter @potus)

JAKARTA - On Wednesday, July 5, the Joe Biden administration appealed against the decision of a federal judge who restricted several agencies and officials from meetings and communicated with social media companies to moderate their content, according to court filings.

The appeal lawsuit filed on Wednesday July 5 signaled the government's plan to ask the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans to review the ruling in a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration's attempt to persuade social media companies to oversee posts deemed disinformation.

The lawsuit was filed by Republican Attorney Generals in Louisiana and Missouri, who claimed that US government officials were too far away in their efforts to encourage social media companies to deal with posts they fear could contribute to vaccine doubts during the COVID-19 pandemic or disrupt elections.

Prohibition orders issued on Tuesday 4 July prohibit government agencies such as the Department of Health and Humanitarian Services as well as the FBI from speaking with social media companies "in order to press, encourage, pressure, or induce in any way the removal, removal, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech" under Articles of Freedom of Expression from the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Judge Terry Doughty, in an order filed at the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, gave several exceptions to communications between government officials and companies, including to alert them about risks to national security and criminal activity.

The ruling is a victory for Republicans suing the Biden administration, claiming that the government is using the COVID-19 health crisis and the threat of disinformation as an excuse to limit views that are not in line with the government.

United States officials have stated that they aim to reduce disinformation about the COVID vaccine to reduce preventable deaths.