United States of America: Filed appeal brief in public lawsuit regarding undue influence on social media platforms including content moderation (Missouri v Biden)

On 25 July 2023, the Biden administration requested the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to lift an order that limits government officials' communication with social media companies. The order was issued on 4 July 2023 by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty in response to a lawsuit filed by Republican Attorneys General from Louisiana and Missouri. The lawsuit accuses U.S. officials, both under President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump, of pressuring social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube to censor posts they deemed as misinformation. The Biden administration asserts that the government has the right to persuade people of its views without resorting to coercion and that the order significantly hurts the government's ability to fight misinformation and protect the public. The case is set to be heard by a panel of three judges from the 5th Circuit on 10 August 2023.