A federal judge in Louisiana, US, has banned some branches of the Biden administration from interacting or meeting with social media platforms regarding content moderation on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. On this, Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri, US, accused the Joe Biden administration of imposing censorship, calling the decision a major victory and a setback for censorship.
Judge Terry A. Doughty of the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana barred US government agencies such as the FBI and Health and Human Services from flagging social media posts and accounts. However, the judge set it aside for national security threats and to prevent criminal activity.
Accused The Biden Administration
This decision related to social media came in response to a lawsuit brought by the GOP Attorney General in Louisiana and Missouri. He accused the Biden administration of colluding with social media platforms to remove conservative thinking and viewpoints under the guise of curbing misinformation by government officials, including posts related to the Covid pandemic.
Earlier, Judge Terry A. Doughty had stayed the order for trainers and health workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. However, the US Supreme Court overturned this decision. Former President Donald Trump appointed Judge Terry A. Doughty.
Court’s Decision Will Be Evaluated
A White House official said the Justice Department is reviewing the court order and will evaluate its options. Government officials have said they have tried to reduce deaths from COVID-19 by curbing harmful misinformation, and they regularly alert social media companies about illegal activity such as human trafficking or terrorism.
