Landmark Censorship Case Likely Headed to Supreme Court as Justice Alito Pauses Order Blocking White House From Contact With Social Media

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday paused an order that would have restricted the Biden administration from communicating with social media companies after two lower courts found key government officials likely violated the First Amendment by pressuring the companies to censor information about COVID-19.

Alito’s ruling places a temporary hold on a federal judge’s injunction issued July 4 in Missouri et al. v. Biden et al., and later upheld under a Sept. 8 ruling by the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

The injunction was set to take effect Sept. 18.

The 5th Circuit agreed with the lower court that Biden administration officials illegally suppressed free speech on social media. But a three-judge panel issued a mixed ruling that only partially upheld the July 4 injunction.