Court Rules Biden Administration Violated First Amendment in Policing Online Content

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has ruled that the Biden White House, CDC, and FBI likely violated the First Amendment by improperly influencing tech companies' decisions to remove or suppress posts on COVID-19 and elections. The court found that the White House coerced and significantly encouraged social media platforms to make moderation decisions, violating free speech rights. The ruling limits the government institutions affected by the decision and has implications for how the federal government communicates with the public and social media companies on public health issues and elections. The case is part of a conservative effort to limit coordination between the government and tech platforms, alleging bias in content moderation.