Biden administration argues social media ruling could cause ‘grave harm’

The administration filed a motion Thursday to stay the preliminary injunction, ruled on Tuesday. The injunction sides with Republican attorneys general who claim that the contact puts undue pressure on those companies’ freedom of speech.

The Justice Department (DOJ) already announced that it will appeal to the motion on Wednesday.

In the motion, Biden administration attorneys say the contact between the executive branch and social media platforms “includes speaking on matters of public concern and working with social media companies on initiatives to prevent grave harm to the American people and our democratic processes.”

If the administration’s motion is granted, the injunction would be halted pending the DOJ appeal.

The original suit was brought by the Republican attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri, who called the contact a “campaign of censorship” and accused the administration of a “coordinated and colluded with social-media platforms to identify disfavored speakers, viewpoints, and content.”

The group specifically cited actions by the Biden administration to counter COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and efforts to promote election integrity.