Should the federal government be able to work with social media companies to prevent the spreading of misinformation that attacks elections? This is one of the key questions raised in Murthy v. Missouri (originally Missouri v. Biden) that the Supreme Court is being asked to settle.
Missouri and others sued the federal government, claiming officials pressured social media companies to censor content. This alleged pressure, they argued, violated the First Amendment.
The plaintiffs believed the government was involved in a shadowy conspiracy to influence social media companies to take down disfavored speech.
A district court granted a broad injunction limiting government communication with social media platforms. The Fifth Circuit Court narrowed the injunction.
The Supreme Court will decide if the plaintiffs even have a legal right to sue and whether the government's actions amounted to unconstitutional censorship. They'll also examine the lower court's injunction.
The case has major implications for how the government can interact with social media companies about content moderation. A broad decision could limit the government's ability to address issues like misinformation.
Guest:
Gowri Ramachandran serves as deputy director in the Brennan Center’s Democracy program. Her work focuses on election security, election administration, and combatting election disinformation.
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*This interview will be recorded on Monday, March 18, 2024.
