(LibertySons.org) – In Murthy v. Missouri, two states and five people sued the federal government for allegedly pressuring social media companies to censor their speech, claiming they violated the First Amendment. The Biden administration defended, stating it had a right and duty to stop disinformation and misinformation as it related — in this case — to public health. The Supreme Court recently ruled on that issue.
On June 26, SCOTUS ruled that the plaintiffs didn’t have Article III standing to seek an injunction against the defendants. That means the justices found that those who brought the case were not directly impacted or involved in the federal government’s decision to remove disinformation and misinformation about public health from social media platforms.
So, the case was dismissed. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley reacted strongly to the verdict, claiming that President Joe Biden and his administration “made a mockery of the First Amendment.”
Turley appeared on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom” to talk about the SCOTUS decision. He stated that the administration is “engaging in censorship by surrogate.” He said, “Standing is often used to block meritorious claims,” adding that he was frustrated for the “free speech community.” However, it’s unclear who Turley was deeming as part of that group.
Still, the Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the case, meaning the issue could come up again if plaintiffs had standing to bring it to the court. Turley said the “issue will have to wait for another day,” which could take a long time, given the pace of the judicial system in the United States.
The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…abridging the freedom of speech…or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” It’s unclear which congressional law, if any, was used to pressure social media companies to remove disinformation or misinformation regarding public health.
~Here’s to Our Liberty!
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