The US Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a challenge asserting that President Joe Biden’s administration unlawfully pressured social media platforms to remove posts, including those regarding elections and COVID misinformation, under free speech protections, news agency Reuters reported. The 6-3 ruling overturned a 2023 lower court decision that found federal officials likely violated the First Amendment by encouraging content removal.
The case, brought by Missouri, Louisiana, and five individuals, argued officials lacked standing to sue over federal actions involving various agencies, including the White House and CDC. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority, noted plaintiffs failed to demonstrate specific harm from content moderation incidents, and emphasised the absence of a direct link between government actions and any suffered harm.
However, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative who authored the Supreme Court’s decision, stated that the two Republican-led states and other plaintiffs did not have the necessary legal standing …