Supreme Court Extends Pause in Biden Social Media Contact Case

The US Supreme Court again extended its temporary pause on a lower-court ruling that would restrict the Biden administration’s contacts with social media companies.

The week-long extension, issued by Justice Samuel Alito on Friday, gives the high court more time to decide how it wants to handle the case, which is centered on the Biden administration efforts to combat online misinformation about Covid-19. Republican states claim government officials violated the First Amendment by urging social media companies to crack down on falsehoods about the pandemic and elections.

The move preserves the status quo and doesn’t necessarily reflect the court’s view on the merits of the case. The pause expires at 5 p.m. New York time on Oct. 20.

The case is Murthy v. Missouri, 23A243.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Emily Birnbaum in Washington at ebirnbaum3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Elizabeth Wasserman at ewasserman2@bloomberg.net

© 2023 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Used with permission.