Appeals court criticizes Biden administration's contact with social media platforms

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has scaled back a lower court's order that restricted the Biden administration's communication with social media platforms regarding controversial content. The appeals court ruled that the White House, Surgeon General, CDC, and FBI cannot "coerce" platforms to remove posts they dislike. However, the court removed broader language from the order that blocked government agencies from contacting platforms to request content takedowns. The administration has 10 days to seek a Supreme Court review, and the ruling came in response to a lawsuit accusing the administration of using threats to suppress conservative viewpoints.