Free speech lives.
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal editorial board notes approvingly, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals stood up for free speech in a ruling focused on the collusion between the government and Big Tech. Said the Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/
“The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday against federal officials for colluding with tech platforms to suppress speech, but you’d hardly know it from the limited press coverage. The decision in Missouri v. Biden deserves more attention because it defines the constitutional limits to coordination between government and private actors and may be headed to the Supreme Court.
Missouri and Louisiana—joined by individuals whose posts opposing government views on Covid were censored—sued various federal officials for violating their First Amendment rights. Federal Judge Terry Doughty ruled against the government on nearly all points. The three-judge Fifth Circuit panel largely upheld his findings of fact and law while narrowing his injunction.
The unsigned 74-page opinion begins by detailing the unprecedented coordination during the pandemic between government agencies and social-media platforms. Tech employees “attended regular meetings” with government officials and “seemingly stepped-up their efforts” to remove content to appease them, the decision explains.”
In other words, three cheers for the Constitution, specifically the First Amendment and free speech.
It is a decided that always in America’s midsts are those who would try and silence speech they don’t like. And in the 21st century, with the birth of social media combining with the instincts of a Big Government that frowns on dissent, the potential for silencing free speech in the name of whatever presumed virtuous cause – dealing with Covid in this case – is always present. Good for the Fifth Circuit.