Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Lower Court Ruling Limiting Biden Administration’s Ability to Communicate with Social Media Companies

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday blocked a lower court ruling that would have limited the Biden administration’s ability to communicate with social media companies about contentious content.

The Supreme Court agreed to temporarily pause a lower court’s order that would have barred employees at four federal agencies and the White House from having certain contacts with social media companies. The order was issued in July by a federal district judge in Louisiana.

The Supreme Court’s decision in a short unsigned order puts on hold the Louisiana-based judge’s ruling that specific agencies and officials should be barred from meeting with companies to discuss whether certain content should be stifled.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments this winter, setting the stage for a major ruling on free speech and social media. The court also agreed to immediately take up the government’s appeal, meaning it will hear arguments and issue a ruling on the merits in its current term, which runs until the end of June.

The Biden administration has sought to limit the spread of misinformation online, and the Supreme Court’s ruling will allow the government to continue to communicate with social media companies about contentious content. The ruling is seen as a victory for free speech advocates, who argue that the government should not be able to limit the speech of citizens.