The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a challenge led by Republicans against the Biden administration’s interactions with social media firms to combat misinformation related to COVID-19 and the 2020 election.
The decision reverses a previously suspended injunction that aimed to restrict government officials’ communications with social media platforms.
Louisiana and Missouri’s Republican attorneys general, alongside five social media users, initiated the lawsuit in 2022, alleging unlawful coercion by the administration to censor COVID-19 and election-related content. They sought Supreme Court intervention to limit how the administration engages with social media platforms.
In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to sue. This overturned a lower court decision suggesting potential First Amendment violations by federal officials.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority, stated, “The plaintiffs failed to demonstrate a direct connection between their grievances and the actions of the defendants. Our standing doctrine prevents broad judicial oversight of government interactions across various agencies and platforms.”
Barrett acknowledged that social media companies independently moderated misinformation for years, citing Facebook’s efforts to fact-check and reduce misleading posts about elections.
“While government defendants influenced some platform moderation decisions, evidence shows platforms also acted based on their own policies and incentives,” Barrett added.
Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Clarence Thomas dissented. Justice Alito criticized the majority for neglecting a perceived threat to the First Amendment, arguing they should have addressed the issue more directly.