Leading parties in a massive free speech lawsuit Monday upheld a lower court injunction barring the federal government from communicating with social media companies for the purpose of censoring protected speech. asked to do.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) filed its first lawsuit on behalf of three doctors and an activist whose views on COVID-19 treatments and policies were censored by Republican Andrew of Missouri. On behalf of Attorney General Bailey and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, simply It asked the Fifth Circuit to uphold Judge Terry Doughty’s July 4 preliminary injunction. Doughty issued the injunction after finding “evidence of extensive efforts by defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.”

“This injunction allows senior federal officials to use coercion, intimidation, deception, pressure, and collusion to intervene in content moderation decisions on social media platforms to silence disadvantaged people.” A “perspective” that put an end to a terrible campaign that lasted more than a year, the brief said. “This campaign of federal censorship has been so effective that it has fundamentally distorted US online discourse on major social and political issues, making it virtually impossible to express any point of view on social media.” (Related: States ask appeals courts to deny injunction barring government from censoring social media speech)

On July 14, the Fifth Circuit temporarily stayed Doty’s injunction “until further order” by the court.

“The government’s unconstitutional censorship system has stifled scientific debate on topics of great importance in the time of the coronavirus, including lockdowns, school closures, mandates and the origin of the virus,” said NCLA litigator Jenin Younes. said. statement. “This stifling led to the adoption of policies that years later proved to be more harmful than beneficial. I would like to continue exercising.”

A group of attorneys general, led by Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James, filed an injunction in the Fifth Circuit on July 31, citing states’ interest in protecting residents from “proliferating harmful content.” requested cancellation.

Missouri v. Biden oral arguments will be held on Aug. 10, according to NCLA.

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