Judge says Joe Biden launched 'Orwellian Ministry of Truth' to crack down on Covid dissent

Republican prosecutors have accused the Joe Biden administration of blocking social media users from exercising their right to free speech. Photo: Ting Shen/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Joe Biden created an 'Orwellian Ministry of Truth' to crack down on COVID-related dissent during the pandemic, a US judge said.

In a ruling published on Tuesday, Terry Doughty, District of Louisiana A judge upheld claims that the US administration has made a «massive» effort to stop Americans questioning the effectiveness of vaccines online.

It also temporarily banned federal officials and agencies from meeting with social media executives to remove speech protected by the First Amendment.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterized by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States government appears to have taken on a role similar to the Orwellian “Ministry of Truth,” said a judge appointed by former President Donald Trump. , written in his 155-page conclusion.

There were no immediate comments on the injunction from the White House, Google or Facebook. The measure could be appealed by the Biden administration to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, according to U.S. news outlet Politico.

The decision comes after it was revealed last month that British ministers had set up a division to combat disinformation, which was used to combat critics of the lockdown and those who doubt the mass vaccination of children.

The UK government used an artificial intelligence firm. to monitor social networking sites and detect opposition to vaccine passports.

The federal government was involved in a «censorship enterprise»

Louisiana and Missouri Republican attorneys filed a case and accused the federal government of being involved in a «censorship enterprise.»

They argued that the Biden administration violated the First Amendment by attempting to block social media users from exercising their right to free speech.

Thousands of communications between government officials and tech companies during the pandemic have been collected and submitted to a court case known like Missouri v. Biden.

In his ruling, Judge Doughty said the Attorneys General of Louisiana and Missouri «provided evidence of a massive effort by defendants, from the White House to federal agencies, to suppress speech based on its content.»

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Republicans often accuse the Biden administration of «heavily arming» tech companies to «stop the debate» during the pandemic.

Injunction bars certain types of communication with social media companies

Judge Doughty bars government agencies to contact social media for the «purpose of encouraging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any way to remove, remove, suppress or reduce content containing protected free speech.»

Communication is possible if the government needs to warn of a threat to national security or criminal activity, he ruled.

Social media and other technology companies have regularly contacted the government in the past, including during elections. and the pandemic.

In July 2021, Mr. Biden claimed that Facebook was «killing people» by spreading misinformation about coronavirus vaccines.

Evidence presented in the case includes an email sent in April 2021 by Rob Flaherty, White House Director of Digital Strategy, to Google.

In it, Mr. Flaherty wrote that «YouTube is 'pushing' people into hesitation» about vaccines.

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>He said concerns about this were «shared at the highest [and I mean the highest] level [of the White House].»

Mr. Flaherty, in his email, urged to «good faith dialogue» between Google and the White House, which will include meetings every two weeks.