Supreme Court case examines social media misinformation and censorship [Video]

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – The Supreme Court heard arguments for a major case on Monday about the federal government’s ability to go after misinformation online.

Shortly after President Biden took office, his administration pushed for social media companies to take down what was flagged as COVID-19 and 2020 presidential election disinformation.

“This is not a typical suit where a speaker challenges government actions affecting its own speech,” said Brian Fletcher, Principal Deputy Solicitor General for the Department of Justice. “Instead, two states and five individuals are trying to use the Article three courts to audit all of the executive branch’s communications with and about social media platforms.”

The Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general saw the administration’s actions as an overstep, arguing that executive branch officials threatened, pressured and coerced social media platforms into silencing the political speech of millions of Americans.

The case, Murthy v. Missouri, eventually made its way …