Federal Judge Limits Biden Officials’ Contacts With Social Media Sites

[cigaretteman]

A federal court in Louisiana on Tuesday barred parts of the Biden administration from communicating with social media platforms about broad swaths of content online, a ruling that could curtail efforts to combat false and misleading narratives about the coronavirus pandemic and other issues.
In the ruling, Judge Terry A. Doughty of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana said that parts of the government, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, could not talk to 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.”
Judge Doughty said in granting a preliminary injunction that the agencies could not flag specific posts to the social media platforms or request reports about their efforts to take down content. The ruling said that the government could still notify the platforms about posts detailing crimes, national security threats or foreign attempts to influence elections.

The ruling was a victory for Republicans and other conservatives who have filed a series of lawsuits accusing the government of cajoling or coercing Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media companies to censor its critics. Although the ruling is likely to be appealed by the administration, its impact could be sweeping, forcing government officials, including law enforcement agencies, to refrain from notifying the platforms of troublesome content.
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Government officials have argued they do not have the authority to order posts or entire accounts removed, but they have long cooperated with Big Tech to take action against illegal or harmful material, especially in cases involving criminal activities like child sexual abuse or human trafficking. That has also included regular meetings to share information on, for example, the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.
The White House did not immediately offer a comment. Google and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Twitter did not immediately have a comment.

Federal Judge Limits Biden Officials’ Contacts With Social Media Sites

The order came in a lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, who claim the administration is trying to silence its critics.

www.nytimes.com

 

[hawkedoff]

Every request they send to a social media company should be public.

 

[THE_DEVIL]

Terry Alvin Doughty is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Nominated by President Donald Trump, Doughty previously served in the Fifth Judicial District Court in Louisiana

Louisiana U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty blocked Biden's vaccine mandate for health care workers and the ban on oil and gas drilling.

 

[TC Nole OX]

Terry Alvin Doughty is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Nominated by President Donald Trump, Doughty previously served in the Fifth Judicial District Court in Louisiana

Louisiana U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty blocked Biden's vaccine mandate for health care workers and the ban on oil and gas drilling.

Federalist society hack

 

[The Tradition]

Federalist society hack

You think a government "speech police" should be "a thing"?

 

[Joes Place]

Every request they send to a social media company should be public.

Yeah....CDC should encourage people to inject bleach and OD on ivermectin for Covid, Amirite?

 

[Joes Place]

You think a government "speech police" should be "a thing"?

There's nothing wrong with correcting false information, particularly during a pandemic.

The site owner can decide if they want to remove info that has been identified as false or misleading.
It is absolutely the job of certain government entities to ensure accurate information is being conveyed to people.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Another "WHY?" decision

 

[Joes Place]

Another "WHY?" decision

FWIW, the government never asked for misleading information to be removed; they simply asked that Twitter include disclaimers for misleading and false claims.

 

[runkpanole]

Terry Alvin Doughty is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. Nominated by President Donald Trump, Doughty previously served in the Fifth Judicial District Court in Louisiana

Louisiana U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty blocked Biden's vaccine mandate for health care workers and the ban on oil and gas drilling.

Got to make sure to protect fake news.

 

[The Tradition]

There's nothing wrong with correcting false information, particularly during a pandemic.

The site owner can decide if they want to remove info that has been identified as false or misleading.
It is absolutely the job of certain government entities to ensure accurate information is being conveyed to people.

You think GOVERNMENT should have the power to coerce private platforms (essentially today's "town squares") regarding acceptable speech?

And you think this power should be especially broad during some sort of emergency????

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Jimmy McGill]

You think GOVERNMENT should have the power to coerce private platforms (essentially today's "town squares") regarding acceptable speech?

And you think this power should be especially broad during some sort of emergency????

What could possibly go wrong?

Kind of like having POTUS tell people to march on into the capitol?

 

[MitchLL]

I notice our resident conservative whack jobs didn't take a holiday on July 4th!

 

[The Tradition]

Kind of like having POTUS tell people to march on into the capitol?

No, that's completely different. It was an old-school, in-person fiery speech to supporters in an actual (not virtual) crowd. No online platforms necessary. But that's besides the point.

 

[The Tradition]

I notice our resident conservative whack jobs didn't take a holiday on July 4th!

Hello. Whatchoo doin' on this fine Independence Day?

 

[MitchLL]

Hello. Whatchoo doin' on this fine Independence Day?

Hurricane season coming.

Shouldn't you do your usual bottled water hoarding?

 

[Joes Place]

You think GOVERNMENT should have the power to coerce private platforms (essentially today's "town squares") regarding acceptable speech?

Where did I write that?

 

[Joes Place]

Hurricane season coming.

Shouldn't you do your usual bottled water hoarding?

Nah.

He's gotta procrastinate, then run out to find some to learn it's all sold out, then come back here to bitch about Amazon wanting $250 to deliver a 12pk of it overnight.

 

[Aardvark86]

Yeah....CDC should encourage people to inject bleach and OD on ivermectin for Covid, Amirite?

No, cdc should be better at persuading people not to.

 

[TheCainer]

No, that's completely different. It was an old-school, in-person fiery speech to supporters in an actual (not virtual) crowd. No online platforms necessary. But that's besides the point.

You don't recall Trump and all of his lieutenants extending invitations to D.C. for a big rally? They didn't just randomly show up on Jan. 6th.

Jack Smith is investigating all of this right now.

 

[Joes Place]

No, cdc should be better at persuading people not to.

This is simply not possible with disinformation floating around, unchallenged.
There is zero reason to censor CDC in correcting false information. Period.

 

[Aardvark86]

This is simply not possible with disinformation floating around, unchallenged.
There is zero reason to censor CDC in correcting false information. Period.

Not possible? The remedy is always more speech, not suppression. Always. D see o no one is saying cdc can’t counter bad info.

Incidentally, step one would have been finding a guy who liked seeing himself on tv a little less.

 

[sober_teacher]

Not possible? The remedy is always more speech, not suppression. Always. D see o no one is saying cdc can’t counter bad info.

Incidentally, step one would have been finding a guy who liked seeing himself on tv a little less.

The trouble with this ruling I have is that part of combating misinformation should include (imo) asking these social media companies to add disclaimers for posts that are presented as factual but can be established as being false.

The problem with just saying they should put out accurate information to counter the bad stuff is that you're allowing the creation of false equivalencies. putting out two sets of information as tho they have equal validity when one set is simply false, or at best grossly misleading, has the potential to cause a great deal of harm.

 

[joelbc1]

There is nothing “crookeder” than a crooked judge. Sure a lot of these folks in Louisiana….Florida, Alabama, North Carolina……wonder why?

 

[lucas80]

Every request they send to a social media company should be public.

Ever hear of FOIA? You do know the companies could release any contacts, right?

 

[joelbc1]

Ever hear of FOIA? You do know the companies could release any contacts, right?

That “FOIA” may not be the law “down there”…….

 

[lucas80]

No, cdc should be better at persuading people not to.

It is hard to persuade cult members. Limiting government contact was not the answer.

 

[lucas80]

So, the government cannot offer corrected information?
Quite the activist Federalist judge at work, here. The government coercing and threatening sanctions is one thing. The government voicing its opinions or offering facts is not speech anymore?

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

Every request they send to a social media company should be public.

That would be simple. Yet our government prefers to do things without transparency.

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

So, the government cannot offer corrected information?
Quite the activist Federalist judge at work, here. The government coercing and threatening sanctions is one thing. The government voicing its opinions or offering facts is not speech anymore?

What if that government was Trump? Are you ok if Trump gets to decide what is corrected?

 

[abby97]

Yeah....CDC should encourage people to inject bleach and OD on ivermectin for Covid, Amirite?

Freedom is a concept lost on you isn't it? People have a right to say or believe whatever they want regardless of what you or the government thinks. There is this thing called the First Amendment to the Constitution.

 

[Joes Place]

Not possible? The remedy is always more speech, not suppression

Try reading that again, in light of a judge ruling that states that government entities cannot engage on social media.

 

[abby97]

So, the government cannot offer corrected information?
Quite the activist Federalist judge at work, here. The government coercing and threatening sanctions is one thing. The government voicing its opinions or offering facts is not speech anymore?

No, the government can offer it's own opinions or facts but they can't prohibit others from doing the same.

A judge that protects the First Amendment is the exact opposite of an activist.

 

[Joes Place]

So, the government cannot offer corrected information?

This is precisely the point

Censoring government agency speech is not the answer here.

 

[soybean]

You think a government "speech police" should be "a thing"?

What then is your solution to the false and misleading content about vaccines, enviroment and elections? Should we just sit back and allow lies to become truth to so many of our fellow citizens?

 

[Joes Place]

No, the government can offer it's own opinions or facts but they can't prohibit others from doing the same.

The government never did this in the first place.

 

[hawkland14]

The trouble with this ruling I have is that part of combating misinformation should include (imo) asking these social media companies to add disclaimers for posts that are presented as factual but can be established as being false.

The problem with just saying they should put out accurate information to counter the bad stuff is that you're allowing the creation of false equivalencies. putting out two sets of information as tho they have equal validity when one set is simply false, or at best grossly misleading, has the potential to cause a great deal of harm.

Misleading like "the vaccine will stop transmission" and "schools are vectors for major transmission" or "mask mandates will get us out of the pandemic" stuff like that?

For all the stupid things said by MAGAts during the pandemic there were as EQUAL and HARMFUL things that were said by the Covid cultists that led to continued school closures, business lockdowns, and policies that didn't work.

But again the left is fine with censorship, authoritarianism, as long as its their side pushing the policies.

This is a great ruling by the judge and every free speech advocate should be singing his praises.

 

[hawkland14]

What then is your solution to the false and misleading content about vaccines, enviroment and elections? Should we just sit back and allow lies to become truth to so many of our fellow citizens?

What about false things said by the CDC?

We allowed lies from our government officials that led to businesses closing forever and students being out of school for 18 months.

But as a leftist you are fine with it because your side was pushing those asinine policies.

 

[hawkland14]

What then is your solution to the false and misleading content about vaccines, enviroment and elections? Should we just sit back and allow lies to become truth to so many of our fellow citizens?

Like the CDC telling us that a person can't spread it if they get the vaccine.

I don't think you want to go down this road.

 

[soybean]

I see the infection has spread.