Washington
CNN
—
A federal appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked a controversial order that would have prevented the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies.
Last week, US District Judge Terry Doughty in Louisiana ordered a slew of federal agencies and more than a dozen top government officials to not communicate with social media companies about taking down “content containing protected free speech” that’s posted on the platforms.
The order is part of a lawsuit brought by the Missouri and Louisiana attorneys general in 2022 that accuses the Biden administration of effectively silencing conservatives by pressuring the private social media companies in its effort to moderate online misinformation about Covid-19.
The Justice Department has appealed Doughty’s ruling, and the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday said the appeal should be expedited. In the interim, however, the court said the order will be blocked.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.