Dr Meryl Nass, who in theory has other things to worry about, once more is first with ‘the News’.
The governments idea of indirect (or rather, not) censorhip via Social Media/Big Tech is at last being challenged on First Amendment grounds.
As far as I can tell, the first amendment essentially says that government can not censor or restrict free speech (caveats apply about speech relating to crime); private bodies can restrict free speech but the govt would be breaching the amendment if it pressurized them to restrict free speech on its own behalf.
This is of course exactly what the Biden administration has been doing: the hand of government was exposed in the Twitter Files and elsewhere.
It’s early days - this challenge was brought in a Missouri court and the ruling is of an interim nature. It was nevertheless emphatic - the judge getting all presidential with his numerous noble Founding Father quotations (perhaps with the next round in mind).
But it’s a victory for the GOP and its sets a better scene for the coming big showdown.
Dr Nass later also emailed a report on the story from the Epoch Times.
This is from her first communication:
Judge Doughty issued an important 155 page ruling in the matter of Missouri v. Biden today, July 4
Freedom of Speech must never again be shuttered, trampled on or blasphemied as the crime of "Misinformation, Disinformation or Malinformation"Judge Doughty issued an important 155 page ruling in the matter of Missouri v. Biden today, July 4
From the Epoch Times report, which outlines what has been being censored:
“Opposition to COVID-19 vaccines; opposition to COVID-19 masking and lockdowns; opposition to the lab-leak theory of COVID-19; opposition to the validity of the 2020 election; opposition to President Biden’s policies; statements that the Hunter Biden laptop story was true; and opposition to policies of the government officials in power. All were suppressed,” (Judge) Doughty wrote.
I.e. covid opposition plus the Hunter Biden laptop story, which may have stolen the 2020 election for the GOMP (Grand Old Man party).
In an earlier hearing in March the govt lawyers tried to get the case thrown out (well at least they are consistent). The judge said
““This suit arises out of the alleged coercion by the Biden Administration and various government agencies and officials of social-media companies, urging those companies ‘to censor viewpoints and speakers disfavored by the Left,’” Doughty wrote in the March ruling.”
I wonder if the Reps win the next election, if they will argue that the ruling only applies to the left 