Federal Court Judge Terry Doughty banned certain the White House and federal agencies from disseminating information on Social Networks, including Google, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, etc., stopping government manipulation to control the flow of propaganda and disinformation to advance political agendas. Judge Doughtty in issuing the injunction sees the federal government of using Social Networks to advance certain political agendas. Specifically, Doughty was concerned about the government using liberal Social Networks ban the free speech the free speech of conservatioves, much the way they blackballed former President Donald Trump Jan. 9, 202, three days after the Jan. 6, 2023 Capitol riots in which Democrats accused Trump of plotting an surrection. Without any proof Twitter, Facebook and others banned Trump from their Social Networks.
CNN reacted to U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty banning government agencies from using Social Networks, insisting it had to do with White House disinformation spread on Covid-19, something at the time closed schools and locked down workplaces around the country. Pandemic chief Dr. Anthony Fauci, 83, routinely used Social Networks to justify shutting down schools and workplaces, despite opposition from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump eventually acquiesced to Fauci’s demands to shut down schools and workplaces to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hospitals at the time overflowed with Covid-19 cases causing the worst medical crisis since the 1918 Spanish Flu global pandemic. Centers fir Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization [WHO] all used Social Networks to disseminate information on Covid-19.
When Social Networks banned Trump Jan. 9, 2021 they were told Trump was a clear-and-present danger on the U.S. public because of the Jan. 6, Capitol riots. Unlike newspapers, Social Networks were given Section 230 protections in 1996 Telecommunication Act, providing immunity from content posted on Social Networks. Yet Twitter and Facebook banned Trump because of wild allegations about him contributing to the Jan. 6, Capitol insurrection, as Democrats like to call it. Censoring Trump violated Social Networks’immunity under the Telecommunications Act, holding Social Networks harmless for any information disseminated. Doughty said Social Media companies must not take down “content containing protected free speech,” much like Doughty said Social Networks are free to remove content that threatens public welfare or U.S. national security.
Social Networks were given Section 230 protections in the 1996 Telecommnications Act to serve as a conduit for a wide range of information disseminated over their networks. Unlike newspapers that censor content, Social Networks were given extraordinary protections to keep information flowing, not allowing Social Networks to favor one political party or ideology. Doughty is a little behind the times focusing his injunction the Centers for Disease Control, Health and Human Services, Surgeon General, National Institutes of Health, all of which disseminate information on Social Networks. Doughty’s injunction seeks to control the government attempt to sway public opinion in areas of health care or, more importantly, national security issues like Jan. 6, 2021. Doughty targeted Social Networks engaged in newspaper like censorship.
Doughty got very specific in restricting Social Networks under Section 230 protections from censoring content on their platforms. “Specifically flagging content or posts on social media platforms and/or forwarding such to social media companies urging, encouraging, pressuring or including in any manner for removal, deletion, suppression of or reduction of content containing free speech,” Dougty said. Doughty’s injunction expressly bans Social Media companies from the same kind of censorship or editing done by newspapers and magazines for whatever arbitrary reason chosen. When it comes to Trump’s ban on several Social Networks, Doughty wants to make sure it doesn’t happen against for whatever reason. Twitter content VP Vijaya Gadde banned Trump Jan. 9, 2021 for disseminating content she said threatened social order and security in the United States.
Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey, 46, admitted May 11, 2022 that it was a mistake to have banned Trump from his 93 million Twitter followers. Dorsey didn’t step in at the time to protect Trump’s free speech rights, instead let his underling Gadde to the dirty work. Judge Doughty’s injunction sends a loud message to Social Networks to abide by their Section 230 protections or face lawsuits for violating the 1996 Telecommunications Act. With so much censorship happening in the American press, Social Networks were intended to be the open forum where there was no censorship on content. Social Media companies are run by young people and tend to be liberal. So when it comes to Social Networks banning Trump, it was obvious that it was political. Doughty’s ban on government agencies, including the White House press office, disseminating on Social Networks, attempts to stop the public brainwashing.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
